Iraq likely to ban Australian wheat after war: Oxley

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Iraq likely to ban Australian wheat after war: Oxley

Australian wheat farmers have been warned they'll probably lose lucrative export contractswith Iraq if Australia joins any US-led war.

Wheat is Australia's largest commodity of trade with Iraq and is worth up to $800 million a year.

ALAN OXLEY, a former Australian ambassador to the General Agreement of Tariffs andTrade, says that will probably be lost if Australia joins an attack on Iraq.

Mr OXLEY, who chairs Monash University's APEC study centre, couldn't say if Iraq wouldbe able to find another wheat supplier.

But he says that even without war, the drought means Australia will have less wheatavailable for Iraq.

AAP RTV rmg/tnf/jmt

KEYWORD: IRAQ WHEAT (CANBERRA)