GRAINS Australia is confident an overhaul of the nation's grain classification systems will help create additional value for the industry.
Megan Sheehy, Grains Australia general manager of classification, said the industry-good body was committed to leveraging an already robust classification system to create a market-driven system of standards that was meeting customer needs.
Speaking at the recent Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) update in Adelaide earlier in the month Ms Sheehy said Grains Australia had been busy creating new classification concepts for crops previously only including basic segregations, such as pulses, oilseeds and oats.
Grains Australia is in the process of developing its classification concepts for pulses and oats and hopes to shift its focus to oilseeds later in the year.
Ms Sheehy said creating classifications that met customer demands could open up additional value for the grains industry by getting premiums for classifications with traits in demand from customers.
However, it requires a lot of input from various areas of industry to coordinate.
"We will be working in closely with trade and market access teams within Grains Australia to ensure we've got right insights into what customers both domestically and internationally want," she said.
She said once the classifications were developed Grains Australia would ensure there was the necessary support right throughout the grains supply chain from breeding to consumption.
"Breeders will be kept up to date with feedback from customers as to what are desirable traits and functionalities."
At the other end Grains Australia will also be providing technical support to train customers as to the best ways to use Australian grain to get the best performance from the product.
In the short term, Ms Sheehy said milling oats would be a key focus.
"We're working off the old GIWA (Grains Industry of Western Australia) oats system and will look to assess the quality characteristics of a new variety designed to be used to make porridge."
"The assessment process will be designed to ensure we have consistent oat varieties appropriate for their intended use."
To ensure there is a good idea of what customers wanted Ms Sheehy said a technical classification panel would be formed that would liaise with millers and other end users.
The next phase of the oat project would be looking at varieties best suited to making oat milk, which is a huge growth area due to interest in alternative milks.
Ms Sheehy said Grains Australia was also working on developing classifications within the pulse sector.
"The pulse industry is growing rapidly and having a solid classification system in place will help the sector."