Australia
August 1, 2023

Eleven new varieties of wheat have been classified and are now listed on the 2023-24 Wheat Variety Master List, including nine Premium Hard milling varieties, one Australian Soft variety and one Australian Durum variety. Three new feed varieties have also been introduced onto the Master List.

General Manager, Classification at Grains Australia, Dr Megan Sheehy said, “The release of the 2023-24 Wheat Variety Master List is the continuation of critical work to maintain the competitiveness of Australian wheat worldwide and ultimately ensure its quality meets the required standards”.

“Grains Australia is working closing with our Wheat Council and industry to ensure the delivery of a market-driven variety classification system that represents value for customers and producers,” said Dr Sheehy. 

2023-24 Wheat Variety Master List highlights

Eleven new varieties have been classified:

• BASF Kingston
• BASF Reilly
• Leverage
• LRPB Matador
• LRPB Mowhawk
• LRPB Scotch
• Patron
• Soaker
• Stockade
• Sundancer
• Tomahawk CL Plus

Three new varieties have been introduced (feed):

• RGT Waugh
• SEA Peel
• SEA Stockman

Variety upgrades include:

• Calibre to Australian Prime Hard (APH) and Willaura to Australian Hard (AH) in the Northern Zone
• LRPB Dual to Australian Hard (AH) in the Western Zone 

Four varieties have been removed from the 2023-24 Wheat Variety Master List after a long period of consultation with industry, having been first flagged for removal in 2021 and delivered in their existing class up until 2022.

Based on decreasing production thresholds, 19 varieties are planned for removal in 2024. These include Impose CL Plus, Justica CL Plus, Forrest, Preston, EGA Eagle Rock, Ellison, GBA Sapphire, EGA 2248, Carnamah, Kennedy, H45, Sunlin, Petrel, Sunbrook, Stiletto, Sunbri, Sunco, Spear and Halberd T/N. Then in 2025, 19 varieties are planned for removal including Kelalac, Ventura, Bullaring, Carinya, Correll, LRPB Catalina, Bolac, AGT Katana, Estoc, LRPB Merlin, Yawa, Tjilkuri, WID802, Sunguard and LRPB Gazelle, additionally Janz, Sunstate, Sunvale and Cunningham due to their continued concern to declaration accuracy.

The reclassification of Strzelecki to Australian Premium White (APW) is planned for 2024 in the South Eastern and Northern Zones. Also planned for 2025 is the reclassification of LRPB Gauntlet to Australian Hard (AH) in the Northern Zone.

The 2023-24 Wheat Variety Master List comes into effect on 1 August 2023 and contains the names of all current varieties approved by Australia’s wheat classification process managed by Grains Australia, along with all listed feed varieties. The Wheat Master List records the highest possible class available for respective zones noting that the varieties are then subject to each season’s Grain Trade Australia (GTA) Wheat Standards upon delivery.

The Wheat Variety Master List is available at grainsaustralia.com.au. GTA Trading Standards, including for wheat, are available at graintrade.org.au.

Published: August 1, 2023