R&D Plan

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) has managed the Chicken Meat R&D Program on behalf of industry since 1995 and this is the industry's third Five Year Plan with RIRDC.

Major themes driving the new Five Year Plan include:

• The imperative for increased productivity and efficiency;
• Understanding, adapting to and profiting from climate change;
• Collaboration and working toward the National Poultry R, D and E strategy;
• Rebuilding the industry's human and institutional research capacity;
• Recognition that food safety is imperative to ensure ongoing consumer confidence;
• Acknowledgement that bird welfare is a legitimate community concern that warrants research;
• Understanding that certain types of market research are a valid use of industry R&D resources.

This new Five Year Plan is more comprehensive than previous editions. It incorporates outputs from RIRDC's new Performance Evaluation Framework (RIRDC 2008) and RIRDC's new Communication Strategy (Cox Inall Communications 2008).

RIRDC views industry Five Year Plans as critical. They provide a guide for a strategic program of investment rather than an unstructured ‘grab bag' of projects. Five Year Plans permit constant evaluation and re-planning. This Five Year Plan is consistent with RIRDC's ongoing support for the Australian Poultry Cooperative Research Centre.

A lot of work has been undertaken in drawing up this plan. It was the subject of a workshop in Sydney on 15 September 2008 and extensive consultation with industry.

On behalf of the Corporation we would like to thank those involved for the contribution that they have made.

The Plan is implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989.

Download the Chicken Meat R&D Plan 2009-14