E-Malt.com News article: 1851

Australia, Adelaide: Agribusinesses AusBulk and ABB Grain have exchanged shots over a recent shipment of Victorian malt barley to Japan, The Herald Sun news agency reported November 24. ABB Grain last week accused AusBulk of undermining barley growers' income after it sold a shipment of malting barley to Japan's shochu (distilled spirits) market at an "opportunistic" A$US100-a-tonne discount.

ABB Grain, which controls exports from South Australia, and its joint venture partner, Grain Pool of Western Australia, criticised AusBulk. "ABB and Grain Pool have been developing the market for shochu barley for many years, with hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in a complex research and allied breeding program aimed at producing the best barley variety for this premium product," ABB grain chairman Trevor Day said. "Growers ... now stand to lose the excellent returns from this market if discount sales take effect," Mr Day said.

But AusBulk managing director John Murray described the discount claim as "unbelievable". "Our sale of shochu barley was at levels which exceeded the premiums currently being paid by ABB to growers," Mr Murray said. "Our sale was an example of how closer links between end-users and growers ... can deliver benefits to both growers and marketers and ultimately expand trading relationships."


26 November, 2003