By: Ben Loughran, Dylan Maynard and Jerry Wu

The 30 year anniversary of WA’s $250 million noodle wheat industry was celebrated in Perth last night.

Western Australia has dominated the noodle wheat market by exporting 850,000 tonnes per year, the vast majority of Australia’s output.

Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the state’s wheat production, worth $2.2 billion, made WA the nation’s leading exporter.

“We applaud everyone who has been involved in the evolution of the Australian noodle wheat segregation, who have made a lasting contribution to the Australian wheat industry,” she said.

Sixty per cent of noodle wheat exports from WA go to Japan while 30 per cent go to South Korea.

To continue to meet Japan’s demand for quality the State Government has pursued research in new noodle wheat varieties.

Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre wheat quality market manager Larisa Cato said Australian companies submitted their noodle wheat for examination before continuing the noodle making process.

“The perfect udon noodle should have a perfect ‘mochi mochi’ mouthfeel,” she said.