Australian wheat
Australia is a world leader in the production of quality, safe and clean, food-grade wheat.
Australian wheat is highly valued for its high performance across a full range of uses.
Australian wheat classes deliver grain of consistent physical quality, processing performance and end-product quality.
Wheat
Wheat accounts for the majority of Australia’s grain production and is used for the production of breads, noodles and pastas. Australia produces just three per cent of the world’s wheat (about 25 million tonnes per annum) but accounts for 10-15% of the world’s 100 million tonne annual global wheat trade.
There are various different types of wheat produced in Australia, including Australian Prime Hard (APH), Australian Hard (AH), Australian Premium White (APW), Australian Noodle Wheat (ANW), Australian Standard White (ASW), Australian Premium Durum (ADR), and Australian Soft (ASFT).
End-uses
Australian wheat is used in a wide range of products world wide, including:
- All types of Asian noodles, including udon, ramen and instant noodles
- Asian steamed products
- Asian-style bread
- Western-style bread
- Middle Eastern and Indian style bread
- Sweet cakes, pastries and confectionary
- Pasta and cous cous
Production
Wheat is the largest enterprise in the Australia grain industry, grown throughout southern and eastern regions in the crescent known as the Australian grain belt. Australia produces about 25 million tonnes of wheat per year, accounting for 3.5 per cent of annual global production. Western Australia and New South Wales are the largest production states.
Exports
The Australian wheat industry is export oriented, shipping about 65-75% of the nation’s total production to more than 50 countries. The majority of Australian wheat is exported in bulk cargoes with the top 10 importing countries accounting for 70-80% of exports.
AEGIC research
The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) provides research excellence in science, technology and innovation for Australian export grains and is focused on increasing the international competitiveness and value of Australian grain.
For information about Australian wheat classification, please see the Wheat Quality Australia website.
For information about the Australian wheat trade, please refer to Grain Trade Australia.
Top photo: GRDC / Paul Jones Photography