Australia stays off wheat row

MUMBAI: Amid the furore over import of red wheat, the Australian High Commission has sought to clarify that India has imported only white wheat from Australia and the other variety in news is not an Australian produce.

In a press release, acting Australian high commissioner to India David Holly has stated that the red wheat being referred to in the media reports has not been imported from Australia.

The clarification by the Australian High Commission apparently comes in the wake of the allegations made by some political parties that red wheat unfit for human consumption has been imported from Australia.

Earlier this month, union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who is under fire from all quarters on this issue, acknowledged that red wheat had indeed been imported from countries like Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan but not from Australia. Mr Pawar had also pointed out that the variety of wheat grown and consumed in India is produced only in Australia and parts of the US.

Clearing the air on this issue, Mr Holly said that Australian white wheat is traded around the world and enjoyed an enviable reputation of being a quality leader in the international grains market. “We sympathise with those faced with poor quality wheat, but urge the media to correct inaccurate reporting that the red wheat is Australian”.

The Commission has stated that India followed a hiatus since 2001-02 to 2006 on wheat imports from Australia and imported the commodity between April 2006-March 2007.

Since this time, India has not imported wheat from Australia due to drought in Australia. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service inspects all Australian wheat prior to its export to India and AQIS has confirmed that all wheat exported to India met the quarantine conditions and quality standards specified by India.