In shaping this year's Annual Operational Plan we have worked closely with industry and the research agencies involved in our projects.

The Corporation owes a particular debt to the people who have given their time on RIRDC Advisory Committees. These committees contribute to the development of a strategic focus and also have the difficult job of choosing between quality funding applications in each of the priority areas.

Overall, the Corporation received around 600 applications for funding in this year's Plan and only 175 of these will be contracted in 2002–2003.

Each year, our Annual Operational Plan is submitted to the Minister for approval before we can put the budget to work. (A copy of the Chair’s transmittal letter to the Government on the Plan is at Appendix I.) The Federal Government has now provided us with this approval. This Plan is now operational for the year 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 and is therefore essential reading for those wanting to ‘get inside’ the diversity and directions of our operations.

If you are uncertain about any aspect of RIRDC’s activities, do not hesitate to contact us. Details are in the ‘Corporate Directory’ on the inside back cover of this document. Our homepage on our website — www.rirdc.gov.au — is also a convenient and comprehensive reference to the operations of the Corporation.
 
 

Professor Beth Woods Chair July 2002

Dr Simon Hearn Managing Director July 2002

 

Strategic Plan Our Vision A more profitable, dynamic and sustainable rural sector. Our Mission WHO?  To meet the R&D-related needs of our diverse client group WHAT?  By investing in and providing information on R&D solutions for our clients HOW?  Through the delivery of services, underpinned by innovation, better practice, scientific rigour and effective partnerships WHY?  To advance Australian agriculture on a profitable, dynamic and sustainable basis. Our Core Business Fostering the development of new industries - both prospective and emerging; Managing research and development investments for established industries; Addressing strategic cross-sectoral issues facing the rural sector. Our Key Stakeholders The Federal Government, on behalf of rural industries and taxpayers; Industry Funders; The Australian community.

Executive Summary
Key Elements of the 2002–2003 Plan

Budgeted expenditure of $26.2m in 2002–2003. This expenditure is across all our three core businesses and will fund projects that seek to drive the strategic goals of the Corporation’s Research and Development Plans.

While, in overall terms, the Corporation is budgeting for a deficit of more than $1m in 2002–2003, all of this deficit is coming from the draw down of the reserves in the industry sub-accounts. In aggregate this draw down is $1.7m. On RIRDC Core, we have framed the Plan around a surplus of $0.6m.

On balance, the Corporation has taken the view that the reserves of our industry sub-accounts are too high and that outlays from RIRDC Core should be slowed and put on a more sustainable basis. This is being done by the budget of this Plan. The accumulated budgeted deficit on RIRDC Core of $0.6m at June 2003, is down from $2.0m as at June 2000.

The Corporation has four R&D program areas and 20 sub-programs within that program structure. Information on each sub-program is presented on pages 17-70 of this Plan. The more detailed industry-specific information includes a listing of new projects being funded in 2002–2003.

The Corporation's Revenue and Expenditure for 2002–2003
 

Research and Development	x	$m	x	2002/2003 Expenditure
x	2000/2001	2001/2002	2002/2003	as a % of Total
Prospective New Industries	2.40	2.47	2.35	9.0%
Emerging New Industries	5.33	5.45	5.62	21.5%
Established Rural Industries	8.99	9.33	9.84	37.6%
Future Agricultural Systems	3.57	4.02	4.12	15.7%
Program Development	-	-	0.50	1.9%
Research Coordination & Management	1.56	1.61	1.64	6.3%
R&D Communications	0.31	0.39	0.35	1.3%
Functional Support Areas	x	x	x	x
Corporate	0.58	0.52	0.52	2.0%
Communications	0.33	0.35	0.35	1.4%
Administration	1.21	0.88	0.87	3.3%
x	24.28	25.02	26.16	100.0%

Some Examples of Key Projects
 

New Plants - Quality enhancement of extra-virgin olive oils and the production of bioactive polyphenols from the waste stream. New Animals - New commercial breeding programs for the milking sheep and dairy goat industries based on new imported genetic material. Asian Foods - Taro production mechanisations and chip development. Agroforestry and Farm Trees - Identification of woody perennial plants suitable for large-scale commercial revegetation to aid controlling dryland salinity and provide the foundation for viable new industries in the sheep-wheat belt of southern Australia. Deer - Upgrading of deer quality assurance software to get a stronger interface with other production software. Essential Oils - The commercialisation of milkweed, a plant with prospective anti-cancer properties. Organic Produce - Technology options for organic sugar production. Rare Natural Animal Fibres - The development of new commercial reproductive technologies for the alpaca industry. Tea Tree Oil - Evaluation of tea tree oil as an insecticide in vegetables. Wildflowers and Native Plants - The development of north Queensland flower and foliage species.

Chicken Meat - Development of cytokine strategy to enhance vaccine efficacy in poultry and optimise meat chicken performance. Eggs - Establishment of net energy values of Australian feed ingredients for poultry. Honeybee - An investigation of nectar production after logging in forests. Rice - Identification of herbicides from around the world, which have the potential to effectively control the major weeds in rice (to minimise the chance of herbicide resistance development). Horse - Safer horse racing from the identification of risk factors at surveyed racetrack facilities. Fodder Crops - A coordination project on the agronomy of cereal hay production to ensure quality product for the domestic but especially export markets. Pasture Seeds - The development of seed production technologies for a new legume crop, lotus, which has shown good potential for salinity control. Global Competitiveness - A suite of projects in the run up to the next round of WTO negotiations. Resilient Agricultural Systems - Developing sustainable agriculture certificate standards for marketing Australian produce. Human Capital, Communication and Information Systems - Reconceptualising extension to deliver triple bottom line outcomes.

Overall, the Corporation will fund around 500 projects in 2002-2003 of which around 150 will be new ones.

Last updated: June 2002  Copyright © RIRDC
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/aop02-03/contents.htm