Milling Oat Not Approved in WA

SYDNEY - Mar 13/05 - SNS -- Growers in Western Australia who grow the new oat variety Possum need to realize this milling oat is not yet approved for that purpose in that state and growers may only be able to sell their crops to feed markets.

The new South Australian milling oat Possum is being commercially evaluated to determine its suitability as a milling type in WA.

Possum was bred for the medium to high rainfall regions of south eastern Australia by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) but is currently not classified as a milling variety for Western Australia.

Western Oat Alliance Chairman Ray Marshall said the classification of Possum in WA would follow the commercial evaluation trials and was expected to be confirmed by early 2006.

Marshall said possum seed had been incorrectly advertised as a milling type suitable for WA. "WA growers are urged to proceed with caution with the sowing of Possum oats. Possum will only be received as a feed variety through Agracorp at this stage," Marshall said

"Possum does have high digestibility, and high protein that would make the variety suitable as a good quality feed type. However, the Department of Agriculture Cereal Variety Testing results for 2003 and 2004 have shown that the current feed varieties Dalyup and Wandering both outyield Possum under WA conditions."