A single desk is a

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...

marketer and buyer of a product with multiple suppliers. They were common in markets for agricultural produce.

Single-desk marketing in Australia

Wheat

In Australia, the single desk was the monopoly marketing of wheat by the Australian Wheat Board (1939–1999) and its privatised successor, AWB (International) Limited (1999–2008). In this situation, returns from growers were pooled together nationally and the prices averaged by the Board, which covered both domestic and international sales until 1989, when it focused exclusively on exports. In its last year, this was limited further to just bulk exports. Momentum for change to the export marketing arrangements built up over time, following: * the National Competition Policy Review of the ''Wheat Marketing Act 1989'' (2000), which found there was no clear, credible, and unambiguous evidence that the current arrangements for the marketing of export wheat were of net benefit to the Australian community * the successful deregulation of the export of other grains * increasing grower dissatisfaction with the performance of the single desk, notably in Western Australia * the Inquiry into Certain Australian Companies in Relation to the UN Oil-For-Food Programme (2006). In 1999 Wheat Export Authority was created following passing of amendments to the ''Wheat Marketing Act 1989''. In October 2007 Wheat Exports Australia was replaced with the Export Wheat Commission. In July 2008 the Export Wheat Commission was replaced by Wheat Exports Australia.

Other products

Until 2016,

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

had a monopoly purchaser of ware potatoes, the Potato Marketing Corporation of Western Australia. Other single desks existed in Australia, such as Queensland Sugar Limited, the

Australian Barley Board ABB Grain was Australia's largest agribusiness. Founded in 1939, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange until its takeover by Viterra in 2009. For most of its history, the company focused solely on grain accumulation and ...

, and dairy single desks in each state, among others.

Single-desk marketing in Canada

The

Canadian Wheat Board The Canadian Wheat Board (french: Commission canadienne du blé, links=no) was a marketing board for wheat and barley in Western Canada. Established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935, its operation was governed by the Canadian Wheat Bo ...

was Canada's monopoly marketer of wheat and barley grown in the

prairie provinces The Canadian Prairies (usually referred to as simply the Prairies in Canada) is a region in Western Canada. It includes the Canadian portion of the Great Plains and the Prairie Provinces, namely Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. These provin ...

. Its monopoly was removed in 2011, effective August 2012.

References

External links