1. Purpose

To advise GTA Members that Grain Trade Australia has released a new Technical Guideline Document (TGD) to support industry in strengthening compliance across the grain cargo accumulation and outturn process.

2. About the TGD

The TGD reinforces a critical principle: grain must only be accumulated for shipment when it is known to meet all market requirements, not just those specified in contracts, but also those set by importing country regulators.

Requirements cannot be assumed or only partially understood. It is also important to be aware that customer specifications and importing country regulations (including quarantine, food safety and chemical limits) can differ significantly and may change over time. Failure to fully identify and meet these requirements for each export consignment creates risk for exporters and the broader industry.

The new TGD introduces the concept of a Grain Preparation Plan (GPP) – a structured, documented approach to:

• Identifying all relevant customer and regulatory requirements for each consignment
• Understanding and verifying the “status” of grain through sampling, testing and record-keeping
• Aligning stock selection and blending decisions with those requirements
• Demonstrating compliance through clear documentation and sign-off prior to outturn.

Importantly, the TGD emphasises that responsibility for compliance sits with industry. This includes actively sourcing current importing country requirements (for example, via import permits or government sources), rather than relying solely on secondary references.

For exporters, this is particularly critical. Importing countries may independently test consignments on arrival, and non-compliance can result in rejection, reputational damage and market access risk.

The GPP framework is also aligned with existing obligations under the Australian Grain Industry Code of Practice and regulatory oversight by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

3. Key takeaway

A robust cargo assembly process starts with a clear and current understanding of market requirements and a disciplined approach to ensuring grain selected and outturned demonstrably meets those requirements.

GTA encourages all members involved in grain storage, handling, marketing and export to review the new Guideline and consider how a GPP framework can be applied within their operations.

The full Technical Guideline Document is now available on the GTA website.

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