WESTERN Australian wheatgrowers are expected to reap the benefits of US-based Monsanto’s 20 per cent acquisition of state government owned InterGrain.
WESTERN Australian wheatgrowers are expected to reap the benefits of US-based Monsanto’s 20 per cent acquisition of state government owned InterGrain.
Monsanto is best known for developing genetically engineered seed while InterGrain was established in 2007 by the state government and the Grains Research Development Board.
Since then InterGrain has become one of Australia’s leading crop breeding companies.
Agriculture Minister Terry Redman said the alliance would ensure InterGrain remains at the forefront of cereal breeding in Australia.
“All other cereal breeding companies in Australia have major international breeding or bioscience companies as shareholders or key collaborators,” he said.
Monsanto and InterGrain will exchange certain wheat germplasm for breeding.
InterGrain will gain access to breeding technology tools and services for genotyping and marker development.
This is expected to deliver increased genetic gain, which will provide farmers with the ability to achieve higher yields.
“Monsanto’s minority shareholding in InterGrain will enable access to more advanced breeding technologies and germplasm of improved varieties to benefit our growers,” Mr Redman said.
InterGrain chairman Dale Baker said the partnership was an exciting development.
“InterGrain has been actively seeking a partner to grow our wheat breeding program for some time, and is very pleased to reach this agreement with Monsanto, the world’s leader in this regard,” Mr Baker said.
“It will open the doors to a vast new library of germplasm and powerful technology capacities which Australian wheat growers have not previously had access too, which we expect will translate to more rapid improvements in wheat yields and performance.”
Mr Baker said the collaboration would potentially allow advances in areas such as yield performances, disease resistance and drought tolerance, as well as improved end use qualities.
Monsanto’s chief technology officer, Robb Fraley, said there was great potential for both Monsanto and InterGrain to benefit from the acquisition.
“This collaboration, and the associated funding and access to advanced breeding tools it brings, will support the acceleration of genetic gain for wheat, which is a promising development for wheat growers around the world – especially in Australia,” he said.
“We are … pleased to be partnering with a market leader which has demonstrated both its expertise and commitment to enhancing the productivity of the Australian grain industry,” Mr Fraley said.
Mr Redman talked up the potential benefits of the partnership for grain growers around the state.
“The ability for the grains industry and rural communities to prosper into the future will be enhanced with this access to new breeding technologies and genes that enable grain growers and industry to rapidly improve production and be more resilient,” he said.
