ABC Landline features failed GrainCorp sale aftermath

11 March 2014

ABC Landline has looked at the aftermath of the failed ADM (US) takeover of East Coast grain handler GrainCorp.

The story looks at the ageing rail infrastructure on the east coast and compares east and west coast operations in Australia.

TIM GLASS, CWF AGRICULTURAL SERVICES: If Australian farmers want to participate in efficiencies in the supply chain, then the only way they can do that is by investing in some part of that supply chain, whether that be through a truck or a silo or a co-op, pooling and maximising those efficiencies, that is the only short-term way that Australian farmers are going to see a benefit of that supply chain improving.

CHRIS CLARK: And how they do that might depend on where they are on the East Coast.

TIM GLASS: In the north with the larger-scale farming, the big broadacre farms, they probably have the economies of scale to have their own on-farm storage and work with companies to move that grain direct from farm to port. But if you move into the southern areas, farms are smaller and you may see opportunities for farmers to group together in, say, a 50 k’ radius and build co-op-type arrangements where they pool their resources to try and participate in some of the same efficiencies the larger farmers in the north can achieve.

You can watch the full feature and read the transcript on ABC Landline: Against the Grain, 8 March 2014