Media release no.
May 2001 Farmer to farmer trading of the barley varieties Gairdner and Fitzgerald will be permitted this season, but only in Western Australia. There has been modest demand for Gairdner barley from growers throughout the Great Southern and on the South Coast for 2001 plantings. The owners of the varieties, Agriculture Western Australia and the Grains Research and Development Corporation, together with the seed licensees and suppliers have agreed to the new arrangement as 'one-off' to enable farmers in Western Australia to obtain seed. As a result, there are no contracts, administration fees or seed royalties required during the exchange and no end point royalties payable, as they do not apply to both Gairdner and Fitzgerald. However Mr Trevenen warned that as with all farmer to farmer trading, there were no guarantees with the seed.