AGRICULTURE Minister Tony Burke wants changes at Australian Wool Innovation, particularly with its board structure.

AWI likewise acknowledges it must change, but whether it can meet the Minister's demands is a very delicate issue.

Word from Canberra is that the Minister would like AWI to adopt a similar model to Meat and Livestock Australia with its board of directors nominated by an industry selection panel.

That's a big ask for the wool industry. Just imagine the politics in trying to corral a selection panel.

As indicated to the recent Senate Estimates hearing, the Minister is using the negotiations for AWI's next three-year statutory funding agreement to trigger changes.

AWI chairman Wal Merriman told the Senate hearing the organisation was not about publicise its position, although it was prepared to accept some changes.

Both parties have strong bargaining positions.

AWI is essentially a private company and any board or constitutional change proposed by the Minister would require a 75 per cent vote by levy-payers.

The Government's strength is that it controls the $12 million matching research contribution to AWI.

The deadline for an agreement is June 30.

AWTA buy

YOU can't accuse the Australian Wool Testing Authority of resting on its laurels.

While the clip and its wool testing business continues to shrink, AWTA is busy diversifying into other ventures.

The latest are the West Australian food testing business Inman & Farrell and the water, soil and plant testing business Agro-Nutritional Research Laboratory.

It follows AWTA's acquisition of Agrifood Technology in 2008 and last year's purchase of FeedTest.

Managing director Michael Jackson said all of AWTA's West Australian ventures would be based at Bibra Lake, near Fremantle.