Amidst claims the new body will not include any wheat growers, Mr Burke said the WEA would be chaired by Ted Woodley, former head of a number of large grain and energy companies, who he said had expertise in business and grain handling, including the NSW Grain Corporation and EnergyAustralia.

Mr Woodley will be joined on the panel by Nicole Birrell, a current member of the Grains Research and Development Corporation and former director of AusBulk; Kim Halbert, a grain and livestock producer and director of the Grain Licensing Authority of Western Australia; Professor Paul Kerin, professor at the Melbourne Business School with experience in economics, public policy and business; Sandy Murdoch, former CEO of Ridley AgriProducts; and

Martine Pop, former member of the 2004 Wheat Marketing Review Panel and the Grain Pool of Western Australia with expertise in finance, economics, regulation and law.

* Farmers with questions about the new system can call (02) 6202 3400 (the current Export Wheat Commission, which will become Wheat Exports Australia).