Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

Sub-Program 2.1: Asian Foods

Research Manager:
Mr Tony Byrne
Phone: 02 6272 5472
Fax: 02 6272 5877
Email: tony.byrne@rirdc.gov.au

Objective: To support industry in its drive to develop new products and markets and to gain competitive advantage through improving productivity in, and achieving price premiums for, Australian production. Research

Budget: $525,000

Background

Asian vegetables are mainly grown for domestic consumption, with production concentrated on the outskirts of the main state capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast. However, there is a small, but growing, export sector historically exporting Chinese cabbage to Asian markets but evolving to exporting a wider range of high quality vegetables.

The market for Australian-grown Asian vegetables in many Asian countries is potentially large. For instance, Japan imports $2.3 billion of fresh, frozen, preserved and dehydrated vegetables each year.

Key Performance Indicators
 

• Number of new products with high prospectivity identified.
• Availability of production information.
• Internal rates of return on development stage projects - target is to exceed 25 per cent.
• Information on appropriate use of chemicals for the main chemicals commonly used on Asian vegetables.
• Optimal handling and packaging protocols available for the major Asian vegetables.

Opportunities for Asian food arise out of:

Foods other than vegetables, particularly processed foods, are also popular and opportunities include sauces, ready-made meals and possibly snacks.

Increasing attention to industry development will be needed in the future, with greater emphasis on managing quality and the development of supply chains. Conservative estimates are that, with appropriate research and development, the current value of the Australian industry will double within three years.

Key sub-program strategies

Industry development

Strategies for 2002–2003

Expected key outputs in 2002–2003

Expected key outcomes in 2002–2003

Achievements in 2001–2002

Research Managers:
Dr Roslyn Prinsley
Phone: 02 6271 4033
Fax: 02 6272 5877
Email: roslyn.prinsley@rirdc.gov.au

Dr Deborah O'Connell and Sarah Bruce
Phone: 02 6271 6671
Fax: 02 6272 5877
Email: deborah.o'connell@rirdc.gov.ausarah.bruce@rirdc.gov.au

Objective: To integrate sustainable and productive agroforestry within Australian farming systems.

Research Budget: $3,190,030

Some Key Performance Indicators

• Number of viable commercial options that underpin an expansion of agroforestry.
• Availability of farm and catchment design information that provides clearer guidance on the placement of trees in the landscape to
• manage groundwater.
• Availability of information to farmers which allows them to quantify and predict the impact of trees on their farming systems.
• Extent of systematic information available on financially viable species and provenances for agroforestry systems and products.
• Availability and uptake of design options and decision making tools.
• JVAP products are widely available and used by agroforestry advisors and forest growers.

Background

Agroforestry has the potential to improve agricultural productivity, diversify and increase farm income, conserve land, maintain biodiversity and contribute to the national timber supply. Given appropriate research development and extension, agroforestry could become a widespread, profitable and sustainable system of land use.

The "multiple benefit" nature of agroforestry makes it ideal for collaboration between R&D partners with varying priorities. Development of a joint approach ensures that outcomes from agroforestry R&D expenditure are balanced amongst the benefits by focussing resources on a set of priorities agreed by all partners.

The Joint Venture Agroforestry Program (JVAP) was established in 1993 with three partners: RIRDC, the then Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (now Land &Water Australia) and the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

Funding is also provided for some activities by the Murray Darling Basin Commission, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia, and the Australian Greenhouse Office. A major contribution of $4 million was received in February 1998 from the Natural Heritage Trust through the Farm Forestry Program (FFP). This contribution concludes in 2002.

The JVAP has the following key roles:

The JVAP recognises that future commercial agroforestry investments, particularly in the medium to low rainfall regions, are subject to considerably greater risk than other commercial land use enterprises with proven production systems and more transparent commodity markets. R&D intervention can help reduce this risk by quantifying land, water, biodiversity and social responses to agroforestry systems and developing new products from trees in low to medium rainfall areas.

The JVAP has managed Bioenergy Australia (previously called the Biomass Taskforce) since 1998. This taskforce fosters and facilitates the development of biomass for energy, liquid fuels, and chemical feedstocks. Membership continues to grow with about 50 paying bioenergy members. The sustainable development of a biomass industry in Australia is an important new area of R&D within the JVAP.

Key sub-program strategies

Strategies for 2002–2003

Expected key outputs in 2002–2003

Targetted strategies for implementation

 
• A booklet on effective strategies for marketing farm tree products.
• Quarterly ANU Forestry Market Reports.
• Release of information support material for farm forestry including a manual for trial establishment, a directory of trials in Australia, an updated edition of Trees for Saltland, and reports supporting growth modelling and matching trees with climate in Australia.

Sustainable use of natural resources

 
• Third in Agroforestry Guideline series publications Trees, soils and climate: Site Selection for Farm Forestry.
• Fourth in Agroforestry Guideline series Trees for Biodiversity.
• A manual for irrigated eucalypts incorporating salinity impacts, and a report on fast-growing eucalypt plantations in northern Victoria.
• A scoping study into banded agricultural systems for reduced recharge, reduced runoff and greater
• productivity.

Optimised productivity of crops and pastures

Optimised direct returns from tree products

Cost-effective multi-purpose agroforestry systems to meet commercial and environmental objectives

 
• A silvicultural decision support system for farm forestry which will predict wood product yield based on a few simple site descriptors and the plantation silviculture applied, as well as a whole-farm and regional agroforestry decision making system.
• A report on 'Best bet' products from agroforestry biomass, presenting a rational method for selecting target products for biomass systems integrated with agriculture in medium to low rainfall areas.

Effective communications

Expected key outcomes in 2002–2003

This sub-program has its own Five Year Plan which is accessible in hardcopy and on the Internet at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/aft5yr.htm

Achievements in 2001–2002

Targetted strategies for implementation

Sustainable use of natural resources

 
• Released The Carbon Farmer report, manual and software, which allow farmers and advisers to evaluate whether it is worth engaging in carbon farming.
• Released guidelines for the silvicultural management of blackwood.
• The Bioenergy Atlas of Australia (jointly funded with AGO) was published as a report and made available online. The Atlas allows interactive view and query of information useful to evaluate bioenergy resource at a national scale, with two more detailed regional case studies.
• Release of a report, bibliography and database of national silvicultural research and proposals in farm forestry.
• Published a feasibility study investigating the potential for integrated mallee processing for carbon products, eucalyptus oil and electricity. A pilot plant based on this system is currently being established in Narrogin WA, with government and private investment.
• Published reports and brochures on alternative timber products including cement-board, oreiented strand board and medium density fibreboard.

 

 
• Published a further three Research Updates including Making Farm Forestry Pay: Selling the Environmental Services of Farm Forestry Research Update No. 3, The Australian Low Rainfall Tree Improvement Group Research Update No. 4, and Site Selection for Farm Forestry Research Update No. 5. The existing two Research Updates continue to be in high demand.
• Published a report and evaluation of the Master Tree Growers program supported by JVAP.
• Supported and presented a keynote paper at the IUFRO Forestry Extension Conference in Lorne in November 2001.
• Held a workshop on the potential of the Wattleseed industry in March 2002.
• Held a workshop on Investment and Policy in March 2002.
• Held a workshop on Biodiversity guidelines in March 2002.
• Supported and presented a keynote address at the Bioenergy Australia Conference in the Gold Coast in December 2001.
• Continued to publish biannual JVAP newsletter, as well as more than 20 final research reports.
• Updated and reprinted a JVAP information brochure.

Research Manager:
To be advised

Objective: To foster an Australian deer industry as a profitable and efficient mainstream agricultural enterprise.

Research: Budget: $350,000

Some Key Performance Indicators

• Updated Quality Assurance manuals and computer database program produced.
• Improvement in farmer returns from research of venison co product opportunities.
• New Industry Code of Practice produced.
• Quality Assurance program expanded.
• Completion of venison statistic computer program.
• Tourist markets for value added velvet antler and venison co products identified.

Background

The Australian deer industry has an estimated gross value of production of about $7 million at the farm gate. Although the industry is dispersed throughout Australia, the majority of the herd continues to be in Victoria and New South Wales. Fallow and Red deer are the most numerous species.

Major products are: (i) Venison where annual production has been up to 1,500 tonnes, with an estimated 90% of that volume exported and (ii) Velvet antler with annual production at around 25 tonnes of fresh product.

Traditionally, most velvet is exported in a frozen state to Korea and China. However, there is an increasing trend to contract processing of product in Australia and New Zealand for subsequent, value-added, sale in tourist markets. The Australian Deer Horn and Co Products Pty Ltd continues to grade and sell the majority of the industry’s production on behalf of farmers.

Like velvet, venison prices are determined primarily by international developments. In 2001/02 venison prices were strong up to November and then weakened due to a number of factors in the European red meat markets. Average venison prices for 2001/02 are expected to be around $3.50 hot carcase weight.

Velvet prices in 2001/02 are likely to average around $65 per kg. This compares with $85 per kg in 1999/00 and $56 per kg for 2000/01.

Key sub-program strategies

Strategies for 2002–2003

Expected key outputs in 2002–2003

Expected key outcome in 2002–2003

This sub-program has its own Five Year Plan which is accessible in hardcopy and on the Internet at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/deerrd1.html

Achievements in 2001–2002