THE LAND | GRDC levy review push back to square one as minister knocks back GPA plan

Rejection of Grain Producers Australia's (GPA) push to have the research, development and extension levy reduced has been announced by Federal Minister for Agriculture Julie Collins.

GPA ran a poll of levy-paying grain producers in late 2025 which showed support for the move, however the Minister has asked for a joint business case from the two grains industry representative organisations GPA and GrainGrowers.

The Land reported that GPA Chair Barry Large said the value-proposition and logic behind the call was clear, with Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) reserves set to hit $1billion this year.

"We've consistently been increasing our grain production, which obviously means the levies raised for GRDC continue to grow, it's a good problem to have but we believe the current trajectory shows GRDC is just not able to spend the money it is raising," he said.

"Our modelling shows that GRDC's cash reserves are expected to go past $1 billion this year and we don't think it is a good thing for industry to just have this enormous unallocated cash reserve sitting there."

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