The National Farmers' Federation and the Grain Growers Association, highlighted by some within the industry as possible candidates to run a grain peak body, said that while they hoped the void created by the likelihood of Grains Council having to disband would be filled shortly, neither wanted to undertake such an endeavour themselves.

NFF president David Crombie said that the grain industry needed representation.

"At the moment, the NFF does not have a grains commodity member," he said. "It is regrettable and totally unacceptable that there is no seat around the table for the grains industry, and the sooner there is representation, the better."

He did not think it was appropriate that NFF became involved in setting the agenda for the grains industry.

"It's really up to the grains industry - NFF should not be directing the grains industry on how it operates," he said.

GGA chief executive Peter Flottmann said his organisation did not see itself as a farmer advocacy group.

"There's obviously a need for a peak body, and we had a healthy working relationship with GCA and we are fully supportive of state farmer organisations and NFF, but we see our role in the industry as something very different," he said.

Mr Crombie said a grain representative organisation now had two ways it could participate in NFF, since the organisation's overhaul earlier in the year, and there need not be just the one industry participant in the national farmer organisation.

"With the changed constitution, organisations can either be a commodity member, the position that used to be occupied by GCA, or they can get an associated membership, which is open to agribusinesses or groups of business or even groups of producers," he said.

"There's the opportunity for anybody who is interested to seek membership - we changed the structure to embrace a wider range of membership options.

"This is the way I see NFF assisting the grain industry. I don't think there is much we can do in terms of working out a solution to the funding problems of Grains Council."