Opportunities and challenges: Australian grain growers well positioned for success, but many obstacles remain to gain market share

摘要

The challenges and opportunities confronting Australia'sgrowers in the years to come are many and varied.Asia's swelling middle classes are demanding more meat, bread and noodle products, creating huge new markets for millers and farmers. And for many buyers, Australia's reputation for quality and its ocean freight advantage makes it a shoo-in as first choice supplier.However, Australian growers also face huge pressure. Many feel they lack the government support available to rivals in the U.S. and Canada and suffer from outdated infrastructure and logistics systems. Grower profits - where they are generated at all - are under increasing pressure from buyers, marketers and bulk handling companies. And low margins make it more difficult to invest in market research and technology to generate output and yield gains, and to communicate effectively with customers to ensure the varieties planted match the needs of rapidly changing markets.