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Prospective New Industries
Program 1: Prospective New Industries

Investment priorities

Objective: To investigate and develop prospects for new industries in rural and regional Australia.

Expenditure in 2003–04: $2,502,162
Compared with 2002–03: $2,286,344

• New Plant Products
• New Animal Products
• increase productivity and processing e?ciency
• ensure safe food production and develop new products
• increase market access and export volume
• facilitate industry development on a sustainable basis
• increase information transfer

1.1 New Plant Products
Objective: To facilitate the development of new industries based on plants or plant products that have commercial potential for Australia.

Expenditure in 2003–04: $1,426,821
Compared with 2002–03: $1,219,989

Background
RIRDC supports a diverse program of R&D within its charter of encouraging and assisting prospective industries that show evidence of being commercially viable. Industries are also supported so that they may contribute to regional development and to the national economy as a whole. ”New industries” are defined as those which appear to have commercial potential but are too novel for support through the work of other R&D bodies or do not attract levies or voluntary contributions at this stage.

The program has six components:

• native plant crops
• culinary herbs, spices and beverages
• extractive and ? bre crops
• prospective fruit, vegetable and nut crops
• prospective grain and pulse crops
• miscellaneous crops and activities.

Researching and testing new crops and their potential in the value chain as well as re-examining older plant species for current needs are seen as essential business by the corporation. New crops increase the potential diversification of farming businesses both as a risk hedge and an environmental management tool.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Achievement of increased regional economic activity and improved rural risk management through crop diversifcation
• establishment of markets for new agricultural products in Australia and overseas
• acknowledgement by industry partners that research is market based
• effective strategic planning and prioritisation by industry bodies for development of research programs

Key long term strategies

• encourage innovation in thinking about plant products and their use in an eco-nomical and environmentally sustainable manner
• assist regional development and rural wealth generation
• assist researchers with new concepts to “market test” proposals to assess if there is a potential value chain prior to undertaking major R&D on a crop
• develop, in conjunction with participants in the value chain - production, har-vesting, processing and marketing systems for products
• foster the development of policy, infrastructure and R&D plans to underpin new crop products
• work to ensure, where appropriate, as industries develop to a certain scale they move into the levy-paying or voluntary contribution processes includ-ing options with RIRDC, the Grains R&D Corporation and Horticulture Australia Limited.Key outputs in 2003–04
• developed commercialisation of new plant products
• developed and encouraged skills of research partners to execute well devel-oped business strategies for new crops
• developed an intellectual property brochure distributed to researchers outlin-ing RIRDC’s expectations from its research collaborators
• worked with researchers to develop business plans for crops/products as early as is practi-cable (often 'new crops' will become commer-cially viable, not for agronomic or horticultural reasons, but for changes in the in the market-place or new technology making our produce competitive with other producers)
• achieved, as a result of the Co? ee R&D Plan, the commencement of work on the two key issues thrown up by the industry–namely obtaining suitable authority for the use of chemicals in crop management and work to ensure that the fundamental issues behind premium ? avour production are researched
• developed the novel oil seed crops and the spice and herb industries with a renewed fo-cus on minor tropical fruit tree crops. These industries look set to develop a place in diver-sifying cropping in various areas of Australia.

Strategic Planning
This Sub-program has separate five-year R&D Plans on Native Foods, Culinary Herbs, Longan and Olives, which are accessible on the Internet at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub

Strategic Plans for Durian, Rambutan and Mangosteen are also available in hard copy.

Research Manager:
Mr Max Bourke AM
Phone: 02 6247 4630
Fax:02 6247 4051
Email:mbourke@ruralfunds.com.au

Publications in 2003–04 04/032
Walnut Industry Research and Best Practice Implementation -04/033
Developing an Index of Quality for Australian Tea- 03/123
Cottonised Fibre from Linseed Stalks03/125
Longans – Postharvest Handling and Storage- 03/141
Hazelnut Variety Assessment-03/129
Increasing the Productivity of Truffieres in Tasmania-03/111
Improved Post Harvest Handling of Lychee-03/110
Genetic and Agronomic Improvement of Quandong-04/019
Domestic and Export Market Expansion of Quality Buckwheat-03/127
Muntries: the Domestication and Improvement of Kunzea Pomifera (F. Muell)-03/103
Exotic Crop Review Workshop, February 200303/058
New Plant Products Research in Progress-03/094
Developing Irrigation Strategies for Coffee Under Sub-Tropical Conditions-03/048
Olive Water Use and Yield - Monitoring the Relationship
 

1.2 New Animal Products
Objective: To accelerate the development of viable new animal industries.

Expenditure in 2003–04: $1,075,341
Compared with 2002–03: $1,066,356

Background
There are more than 40 prospective and emerging animal-based industries for which RIRDC receives research proposals or inquiries regarding R&D funding. The annual value of livestock and products traded from these industries exceeds $200 million with approximately 50 per cent traded on export markets.

In 2003–04 the corporation funded speci?c projects for more than 15 of these industries. Other individual projects covered a broad spectrum of
species and their products such as skin, milk and meat. Projects are increasingly covering R&D across the value-added chain. For the very small industries, initially R&D is directed as nec-essary to feasibility studies and/or the development of a business plan.
Funding continues on the commercialisation of native and feral animal products where enhancement of the environment and biodiversity are not threatened. Speci?c projects are in progress for the kangaroo, emu and crocodile industries. Other projects continue in gamebirds, rabbit, ostrich, dairy goats and silk production.

Key performance indicators

Growth of new and viable animal industries for food and other products

extent to which new industry research outputs are utilised and adopted to meet productivity and sustainability requirements

identification and assessment of potential new industries

development of workshops, through–chain networks and international linkage

Key long term strategies

• assist industry and enterprise development by the corporation’s participation at national in-dustry meetings to disseminate R&D results and facilitate integration activities across vari-ous prospective animal industries
• disseminate outputs via industry newsletters, publication of ?nal reports, media releases and electronic communication
• fund production, processing, transport, storage and market-ing R&D on animal products
• strengthen development within and across industries by supporting creativity, innovation, commercialisation and integration along the value-added chain
• facilitate export market access and development
• assist in the development of business plans for some potential innovative ani-mal industries
• stimulate co-funding of R&D from industry, enterprises and public sector inter-ests.

Key outputs in 2003–04

• published a report on the opportunities for export of gamebirds’ products to Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Market awareness should be followed by ag-gressive promotion and industry collaboration should provide consistency of supply (03/106)
• finalsed a report on the domestic distribution of meat products from croco-diles, emus, gamebirds, hares, wild and farmed rabbits, and snails
• milk production
• finalised a comprehensive report on the status and opportunities of an extended safari indus-try based on the utilisation of feral animals
• reported on the improved dairy goat milk sup-ply during a year by extending the pattern of breeding by utilising hormonal protocols and management practices (03/105)
• developed improved husbandry techniques in ostriches to increase the number of higher graded skins
• produced two videos for the kangaroo industry to facilitate public acceptance of the industry and to improve the capability of chefs and waiting staff serving kangaroo meals (04/090)
• reported on a range of genetic heritabilities on crocodile characteristics related to production parameters of various economic importance.

Strategic Planning
This Sub-program has its own three year R&D plan accessible in hardcopy and on the Internet at: www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/newanimals3yr.htm
 

Research Manager: Dr Peter McInnes
Phone: 08 8556 7331
Fax:08 8556 7289
Email:mcinnes2@comstech.com