MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — The Grains Research and Development Corp. (GRDC) has unveiled plans to invest more than A$1 billion over the next five years in research, development and extension (RD&E) for Australia’s grains industry, a move the organization described as its “most ambitious approach to RD&E investment yet.” Specifically, the investments will seek to harness existing potential, reach new frontiers, grow markets and capture value, and thrive for future generations, the GRDC said.

The GRDC’s RD&E Plan 2023-28 was revealed at the Australian Grains Industry Conference held in Melbourne on July 26. The plan was developed following discussions with growers, advisers, researchers and grains industry stakeholders, the GRDC said.

“According to the latest ABARES figures the grains industry is now the largest single sector of Australian agriculture, with the 2021-22 harvest exceeding $28 billion in value,” said John Woods, chair of the GRDC board and a grain grower from Gooniwindi. “An independent, international benchmarking study comparing 30 years of data showed that despite Australia’s public investment in grains RD&E being lower than the USA, India, Brazil and Canada, our grain growers had much higher total factor productivity (TFP). The researchers found Australian wheat TFP grew by an average of 2.75% per year over the 30-year period of GRDC investments. In comparison Argentina, the next-best performing country, experienced average annual wheat TFP growth of 0.98 per cent per year.

“This is why GRDC is important for Australian grain growers, not only are we the major investors in critical RD&E domestically, we are also the front door for overseas investors. Our new five-year RD&E Plan is critical because it has been informed by growers and industry and it positions how and where GRDC will invest to really deliver for our sector going forward.”

Nigel Hart, managing director of the GRDC, said the new plan features new research partners who will work to improve the profitability and sustainability of Australian grain growers.

“At any time GRDC manages more than 500 RD&E projects ranging in scope from multi-million-dollar national projects with university research partners and other Research Development Corporation, to small projects with farming systems groups designed to deliver against regional needs,” Hart said. “We understand that research is a long game. There is a time-lag between discovery and adoption, so foresight is needed to ensure we have a portfolio of investments that delivers impact for the problems of today and tomorrow.”

For more details on the RD&E Plan 2023-28, click here.