SAFF Grains Council acting chairman Jamie Smith said the industry needed to "secure the future for the wheat growers" now that the single desk had been dismantled by "ensuring there are a number of strong, commercially focused companies competing for our wheat growers business".

The Grains Council believes that it is important for wheat growers that AWB be one of those companies.

It says AWB has occupied a unique position in the industry that has allowed it to develop skills and systems in wheat marketing over a long period, with knowledge of the market and developed relationships with growers and customers.

Mr Smith said these advantages would be part of AWB's competitive strength and should contribute to the pressure on all companies to perform.

"However, this will not be achieved if AWB continues to be tied to a constitution that was written for an era dominated by grower control of cooperative equity and legislation supporting the single desk," he said.

Mr Smith said the old structure not only hampered AWB but also had the potential to destroy it in a deregulated competitive environment.

"We must secure AWB and our future by embracing constitutional change," he said.

SAFF Grains Council is urging all SA wheat growers to attend the forthcoming AWB meetings and then vote to change the constitution.