August 17, 2018 Wheat genome breakthrough provides exciting opportunities Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food Ian Blayney MLA welcomed the wheat genome breakthrough saying it will provide greater security for growers and the WA economy. “Having wheat genomes mapped out will give farmers the potential to develop different wheat varieties, opening the door to frost-tolerant and drought-tolerant wheat,” Mr Blayney said. “This is critical for the future of the Australian wheat industry. It will give farmers more certainty about what they grow and more assurance that their investments will be successful.” Mr Blayney said global demand for what was strong, with wheat exports contributing $2 billion to the WA economy annually. “With global wheat demand increasing due to a rapidly rising global population, the industry will continue to grow and deliver gross contributions to the WA economy,” Mr Blayney said. “This ground-breaking research will also open doors for growers to produce coeliac and wheat-allergy friendly grains which will provide consumers with more choice and create more demand.” Mr Blayney congratulated the scientists and institutions involved in the 13-year project, and applauded the collaborative effort between 73 institutions across 20 participating countries. “What this achievement shows is the value of collaborative research across countries and institutions,” Mr Blayney said. “This is an exciting development that is testament to that collaborate effort with much of the research costs in Australia being covered by growers’ levies and government contributions.” Ends |
