Australia will import foreign-grown grain for the first time since 2007, after the Department of Agriculture approved a permit to import bulk wheat from Canada.

Key points: Australia to import whole grain for first time since 2007

Australia to import whole grain for first time since 2007 Canadian shipment of bulk wheat expected to arrive in eight weeks

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Australian-owned Manildra Group said it would use the high protein wheat for processing at its Shoalhaven Starches plant at Nowra, New South Wales.

"Due to the worst drought in 116 years, high protein wheat is in short supply which is critical to the Shoalhaven Starches wheat-processing plant," Manildra Group said.

"The permit will secure hundreds of regional jobs and the continuation of wheat processing at the plant.

"Shoalhaven Starches' preference is to use Australian wheat, and Manildra Group will continue to buy high protein wheat from Australian farmers, as supply permits."

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the permit came with strict biosecurity protocols.

"Biosecurity is always left to the department rather than politicians," Mr Littleproud said.

"This is not a new development, we have had grain imports before and the reality is the drought has impacted significantly the supply of grain."

Opposition spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said all Australians should be concerned that "a great agriculture country like Australia" was now importing grain.

"The key point here is that we are now in need of imported grain, and that should be a wake-up call to a Government that has been in complete denial on climate change," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Speculation about imports has circulated for months as drought devastated the winter crop on Australia's east coast, driving up domestic prices for grain.

Grain grower groups have expressed concern that imports could jeopardise Australia's biosecurity.

A statement released by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources late on Tuesday said the import permit was "subject to strict conditions to manage the biosecurity risk".

"The import conditions require that the grain is sourced from areas assessed as presenting a low plant and animal biosecurity risk and impose strict movement, storage and processing controls within Australia," it said.

"The shipment is expected to arrive in Australia in the next six to eight weeks."

A Department spokesman said it had previously approved imports of whole grains, from several countries, in 1994-95, 2002-03 and 2006-07.

Last week, the Department told the ABC it was assessing 11 applications to import bulk grain into Australia.

The applications applied to canola, wheat, corn and sorghum.

Australian grain prices are currently trading below the international price for wheat on an import-parity basis, following a decline in prices post harvest.