season National Pool.

The amounts vary between $26 and $58 a tonne across grades, with the average being $38 per tonne.

All payments should appear in growers’ bank accounts on

Thursday, 15 May.

AWB’s head of harvest finance, Cam Whitehead, said the improved cash flow was consistent with AWB’s announcement of October 24 last year that it would

progressively raise the levels and "top-up" earlier payments as sales prices and hedging benchmarks for the National Pool were achieved.

"Sales and hedging of the National Pool have made excellent progress, so AWB Harvest Finance can increase loan and payment amounts available to growers," Mr Whitehead said.

"This is the third time we have increased loan and payment amounts since initial amounts were announced in October and it means that for the 2007/08 season our

finance products now represent over 94pc of the prevailing Estimated Pool Return.

"As a result, $75 million has been paid to Australian wheat growers who used AWB Pools and finance products. We are very pleased to be able to provide such a cash flow at this critical time of year when growers have crop establishment costs to meet."