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Tracking Performance
On 14 December 1999, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry wrote to the Corporation identifying the above seven Government priorities for the Corporation
"the RDCs must recognise the continuing role of the Minister in accounting to Parliament for the use of levy payer and taxpayer funds. The Parliament will never relent on this requirement which runs to the core of our constitution and democracy."
Source: Senator Judith Troeth, August 2000.
Corporate Performance Indicators – Performance against Five Year Plan
Involvement of end users in all aspects of R&D investment program Our end users are rural industries. During 1999/2000 we continued to put maximum focus on our communication efforts and making our operations/output more transparent and consumer friendly. Corporation communications expenditure in 1999/2000 was $764,513, marginally down from $766,975 in 1998/1999. Most of our programs now have newsletters issued to key stakeholders. Translation of research outputs into industry benefits Our strong policy on accessibility of research outputs means that industry has the opportunity of building new technologies into future investment. In 1999/2000 another step in our efforts to make our outputs more investor ready was the launch of our Business Plan Competition. Review of programs on a four-year rolling evaluation basis 21 projects in Program 1 were reviewed in 1999/2000. They showed rates of return ranging from 6 to 230 per cent and benefit/cost ratios ranging from 1.1 to 36. Under the four year rolling program, projects in Program 4 Future Agricultural Systems will be evaluated in 2000/2001 using the same methodology as that employed for Programs 1 (1999/2000), 2 (1997/1998) and 3 (1998/1999). Expansion of the gross value of production of new and emerging industries supported by RIRDC programs A new project will be contracted in 2000/2001 to establish a stronger statistical time series. Current GVP farmgate estimates are:
GVP Trend Program 1 New Industries $220m New Plants
New Animals$ 60m
$160mIncrease
IncreaseProgram 2 Emerging Industries $350m Asian Foods
Farm Forestry
Deer
Essential Oils
Organic Foods
Rare Natural Fibres
Tea Tree Oil
Wildflowers$ 90m
>$100m
$ 5m
$ 40m>
$100m
$ 5m
$ 15m
$ 50mIncrease
Increase
Stable
Increase
Increase
Stable
Stable
IncreaseStrong partnerships with stakeholders in new, emerging and established industry programs Our relationships in industry specific programs continue to be underpinned by our industry advisory committees, active information distribution mechanisms and by a close relationship between representative industry bodies and the Corporation. Strong partnership with stakeholders in Future Farming Systems program This continues to be a difficult area for the Corporation. Program 4 is cross sectoral in nature and it is difficult for the Corporation to identify key stakeholders. Our primary relationship continues to be with the National Farmers’ Federation, on behalf of all sectors interests. Steering Committees are used in many individual projects to address this partnership issue. Progressive reduction of corporate and administrative costs to keep these below 6 per cent of total budget expenditure Our Annual Operational Plan for 1999/2000 was structured on corporate and administration expenditure of 5.8 per cent of outlays. Actual expenditure was 6.6 per cent of outlays. In 1998/1999 actual expenditure was 7 per cent. The forecast figure for 2000/2001 is 5.7 per cent.
Addressing Government Priorities
Sustainable Natural Resource Management
On 14 December 1999 the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry wrote to the Corporation identifying seven government priorities for the Corporation, as set out in pages.
Minister’s Priority RIRDC Action Sustainable management and use of our soil, water, air, vegetation and fauna resources integrated into farming and land use systems · RIRDC is a contributor to the National Dryland Salinity Program and is supporting a project examining the productive uses of saline land, including salt water for aquaculture and trialling palatable salt tolerant plants · Development and publication of design guidelines for reduction and prevention of salinity through farm forestry
· Development of guidelines to optimise the biodiversity values of agroforestry systems
· Development of a range of improved rice production methods and varieties which result in significant reductions in water use, more effective fertiliser application, improved integrated weed control methods and reduced harvesting costs and wastage
· RIRDC is a major partner in the CRC for Sustainable Rice Production which has a major focus of its research on a range of issues related to improving water use efficiency, at both the farm and water management authority levels, and soil management
· Development of bait traps to assist in the capture of Apis cerana (Asian Honeybees) to prevent incursions into Australia, protecting the Australian honey industry and other natural flora and fauna
· Production of a series of reports identifying the flora resource base and their importance to the honey industry
· Investigations of more effective harvesting strategies for a range of pasture seeds to reduce environmental impacts
· Sustainable natural resource management is a primary goal of Sub-program 2.6 ‘Organic Produce’
· Cultivation and sustainable wild harvesting of Bushfoods by Aboriginal communities in Central Australia
· Optimising irrigation and nutrition management systems for tropical fruits (lychee, rambutan and logan) to enhance sustainability yield and quality
· Research into Newcastle disease prevention and control to assist in Australia maintaining its virulent Newcastle disease-free status
· Support for a group of projects on multiple use of resources and innovative approaches to commercial structures and resource tenure arrangements. Aim is to encourage diversity of enterprises, including integration of wildlife as a commercial enterprise option
· Preparation of a draft plan to assist the integration of aquaculture into farm operations and to increase the diversity of farm enterprises, particularly irrigation enterprises
· A cost–benefit analysis of the applicability of internationally acceptable, Accredited Sustainable Production Schemes
Whole of Industry Approach
Minister’s Priority RIRDC Action A whole of industry approach to production, processing and marketing to ensure the chain works to its best advantage · We have refocussed our Resilient Agricultural Systems program to place greater emphasis on through-chain issues · Our Global Competitiveness program is funding several projects which are investigating generic issues related to whole of chain linkages including: social and cultural barriers to developing trust within demand chains; and is supply chain management the key to unlocking successful new rural industries?
· An integrated set of projects which identify the quality characteristics of rice required by consumers and translates these into new varieties through a clear understanding of the whole industry chain
· Development of a set of effective checks/tests and disease prevention measures which provide the basis for an effective quality assurance system through the whole honey production and consumption chain
· Development of objective measurement techniques and systems for fodder which provides effective links with consumers and improves the confidence of all parts of the industry chain in the product
· Farming, processing and marketing of rabbits is being researched in an integrated way after studies have shown a deficit in supply to satisfy demand following the eradication of wild rabbits due to improved pest control programs
· Improvements in the production, storage and marketing of skins of many livestock industries are being assessed with industry stakeholders
· Formation of organic peak body and ongoing collaboration with all relevant State agencies
· Conducted an international benchmarking study of the egg industry to assist the industry to improve its efficiency throughout the production and processing chains
· Review agriculture’s potential to provide pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and industrial products
Minister’s Priority RIRDC Action Development of biotechnology, along with sensitive handling to accommodate Consumers’ concerns · A project has been commissioned to investigate the farm and resource management issues relating to genetically modified plants · Support for projects which will result in greatly improved knowledge of the rice genome and its application to longer term production of improved rice varieties which have desirable quality characteristics for consumers and improved environmental implications
· Development of a unique DNA technology based vaccine to combat herpes virus abortion in mares, a major source of economic loss in the horse industry
· Genetic finger printing of wild olive selections for quality oil production and cultivar identification
· Development of a microsatellite DNA library and markers for Tea Tree. This will provide security for Australian developed superior genetic material
· Development of new/improved cutflowers through selection and sexual hybridisation (using genetic finger printing)
· Development of new poultry vaccines, eg. for fowl pox, and diagnostic techniques, eg. for Newcastle disease, using molecular engineering technologies
· Transfer to a commercial partner one or more gene/enzyme systems that can detoxify pyrethroid insecticides. This will be one of a set of enzyme-based pesticide bioremediation capabilities under development at CSIRO
Increases in Trade and Market Access
Minister’s Priority RIRDC Action Trade and market access negotiations · Development of a set of reports and support for symposia which provide a research background to and support for Australian’s input into the WTO round of trade policy negotiations and other important trade reforms · Production of a set of reports which synthesise and expand past research on Australian export potential and development for a range of Asian economics
· Development and testing of an effective test for bacterial wilt to establish an internationally accepted protocol to facilitate trade access in lucerne seeds
· Enhancement of organic standards to ensure market access especially in Europe, Japan and US
· Improved fumigation techniques for export disinfestation of wild flowers
· The marketing of Kangaroo skins is being improved by developing an international trading specification to access new markets
Minister’s Priority RIRDC Action Maintenance and enhancement of our clean green image · Development of systems to detect pest resistance in trees for farm forestry. If successful, planting pest resistant trees may be able to reduce the use of chemicals · Implementation of ant-based biocontrol in cashews
· Development of IPM for control of quandong moth
· Commenced a project to investigate better means of communicating with non-English speaking growers of Asian Foods, particularly targeting their use of chemicals
· In the coming year, development of national guidelines or Code of Practice for environmental design and management of broiler farms
· Development of alternative strategies to antimicrobial growth promotants for meat chickens
· Implementation of a welfare audit system for the chicken meat industry
· Contribute to the development of a scientifically sound and operationally feasible, management plan for addressing incursions of selected groupings of agricultural pests
· Identification of biological control agents for Serrated Tussock to the stage where they can be introduced into quarantine in Australia. Investigation of the specificity of these pathogens against key Australian native and agricultural grasses
Minister’s Priority RIRDC Action · Support for the Australian Rural Leadership Program, the Nuffield Scholarship Scheme, the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program and Rural Women’s Awards · Support for researchers to undertake post graduate training, overseas travel and attend conferences
· Promoting learning in the horse industry by working across industry sectors and having key resources available, relevant to industry’s needs
· A joint research program is being developed by RIRDC on behalf of DRDC, MLA, The Woolmark Company, GRDC and HRDC to facilitate improved uptake of education and adaptation on farm and to enhance the professional development of farm advisers
· A new series is being developed on ‘Options for farming people: doing things differently’ to assist family farms to make decisions on business development options including enterprise improvement, diversification, alternative asset use and ownership and exiting the industry
 
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Last updated: 5 October
2000
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