Grain Industry Funds

South Australia’s grain industry has access to funds for projects, services and research through the 2 grain industry funds.

Grains include cereals, coarse grains, oilseeds and pulses and are defined in both the:

Types of grains are:

  • cereal and coarse grain – barley, cottonseed, grain sorghum, maize, millet, oats, rice, rye, triticale, wheat
  • pulses – beans, chickpeas, lentils, faba beans, field peas, lupins, soybeans
  • oilseed – canary seed, canola, linseed, rapeseed, sunflower seed, safflower seed.

Grains do not include small pasture seeds, such as clover seeds, lucerne, or medic.

Contributing to the funds

When grain is sold, the purchaser is required to deduct the following amounts:

  • 20 cents per tonne from the proceeds of sale of all grain purchased towards the Grain Industry Fund – change from 31 cents to 20 cents as of 1 July 2023.
  • 30 cents per tonne from the proceeds of sale of all grain purchased towards the Grain Industry Research and Development Fund.

This only applies to grain grown in South Australia.

Contribution process

Grain purchasers are required to remit deductions using the Remittance form (XLSX 50.1 KB) by the 28th day of the month, following the month the grain was purchased.

You can apply to pay your contributions on a quarterly or yearly basis. Approvals will only be given if:

  • your remittance of contributions is up to date
  • the grain purchaser is not seen to be exploiting the guidelines
  • we are satisfied that your total annual turnover of contributions does not exceed these limits:
    • less than $7,000 (up to 5,000 tonnes) paid annually
    • between $7,000 and $15,000 (5,001 to 15,000 tonnes) paid quarterly
    • more than $15,000 (more than 15,001 tonnes) paid monthly.

To apply to pay your remittance quarterly or yearly, contact us.

Use of funds

Funding for projects and services are set out in the industry fund management plans.

The South Australian Grain Industry Trust (SAGIT) uses the Grain Industry Research and Development Fund (GIRDF) for research into:

  • growing
  • harvesting
  • storage
  • processing
  • marketing.

Contribution refunds

Growers can request a refund of their contributions deducted on their behalf by the grain purchaser. This is a voluntary (opt-out) contribution scheme. Refunds can only be requested from the preceding financial year.

Growers are not entitled to receive direct benefits or services from the fund if they receive a refund.

The body to which payments are made out of the fund may receive information identifying grain growers on whose behalf contributions have been paid, or who have been refunded contributions.

Request a refund

Growers can request a refund by notifying the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development of this intention.

You must provide documented evidence of the amounts paid to each voluntary contribution with your refund request to:

C/- Prudential and Rural Financial Services
GPO Box 1671, Adelaide
South Australia, 5001

Fund management

The Primary Industry Funding Scheme Act 1998 requires the 5-year management plan to be annually reviewed, but the plans can be updated at any time. These address:

  • how the fund is governed
  • how organisations may apply for funding
  • the types of activities that may be funded
  • how the industry and grain growers will be kept informed of the activities.

The latest management plans were released at a public meeting on 16 May 2023:

Annual reports

Related information

SAGIT website

Contact

Tamara Rohrlach – Senior Industry Adviser
Phone: (08) 8429 0408
Email: tamara.rohrlach@sa.gov.au

Page last reviewed: 08 Dec 2023

 


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