Australia
February 21, 2025
The latest AEGIC information tour to Japan reinforced the Australian industry’s commitment to performance and quality in the discerning udon market
Representatives of the Australian noodle wheat sector and the Japanese udon industry reaffirmed their respective commitment to technical exchange and collaboration during the annual Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) tour to Japan.
The Australian delegation was supported by leading Australian noodle wheat breeding companies InterGrain and Australian Grain Technologies (AGT), which recently released two new varieties: Splendid (InterGrain) and Rottnest (AGT).
The delegation met with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Japan Flour Milling Association (JFMA), and Japan’s top flour milling companies. It shared seasonal information and industry updates, and discussed the expected performance and uptake of recently released udon wheat varieties.
The delegation was part of AEGIC’s ongoing technical exchange with and support for Japan’s udon industry, in collaboration with Grains Australia, breeding companies and the broader industry. Discussions focused on maintaining the quality and supply of Australian udon noodle wheat.
An udon sensory evaluation with the Japan Flour Millers Association. Photo: AEGIC
AEGIC and JFMA are committed to working together to conduct udon sensory evaluation to build more evidence on the ideal colour requirements for udon. This information will assist Grains Australia’s Wheat Council and Wheat Variety Classification Panel when making decisions about the classification of wheat varieties.
AEGIC and JFMA have each committed investment and resources into the technical exchange program – also known as the JFMA visiting noodle expert program – managed by AEGIC on behalf of the Australian industry. The program provides a platform for capacity building and supports the development of new Australian Noodle Wheat and Australian Premium Noodle Wheat lines. The classification process is managed by Grains Australia.
AEGIC will conduct further visits and technical seminars in Japan in 2025.
The recent delegation also visited Hanamaru Udon’s processing plant in Chiba. Hanamaru Udon is one of Japan’s leading udon restaurant chains and has stringent quality requirements, one of which is its use of wheat from Western Australia.
For almost 35 years, Japan has exclusively imported noodle wheat from WA that has been bred specifically for udon. WA supplies about 750,000 tonnes of a special noodle wheat blend to Japan, worth around $300 million annually.
AEGIC is Australia’s market-facing agency for the Japanese noodle market, in collaboration with the Wheat Council of the Grain Industry Association of WA. For more than 10 years, AEGIC has been central to supporting this market through sensory assessment of new varieties, as well as providing technical support, season update videos and resources to address seasonal issues. Korea also imports noodle wheat from WA.
AEGIC is an initiative of the Western Australian State Government and Grains Australia. Grains Australia is an initiative of the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
Topics
Species
