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| Rural Industries |
RIRDC's research and development activities for 1994-95 were organised into two main portfolio areas: specific rural industries and multi-industry issues in accord with the Corporation's five year R&D plan (1991-1996). Readers of this report should note that a new five year R&D plan (1995-2000) and program structure for the Corporation was approved by the Minister for the Department of Primary Industries and Energy on 5 June 1995.
In the first area, the Corporation played a key role in the development of new rural industries (such as Asian foods, horses, emus and cashews) and supported and funded the R&D needs of smaller established industries in Australia (such as deer, pasture seeds, essential oils and wildflowers).
In the second activity area RIRDC funded R&D into generic issues (such as agribusiness, agroforestry, education, extension and farm health and safety) that had a general impact on several or all agricultural industries, but were not being adequately funded by any one body.
This annual report highlights outcomes and outputs from these two portfolio areas.
SPECIFIC INDUSTRY PROGRAMS
Objective
To invest in research and development that has the potential
to provide a high payoff to smaller, emerging or new
rural industries.
Goal
To achieve an overall benefit-cost ratio for the activity
area of at least 2.0.
Strategies
1.Develop methods to more realistically assess the commercial
prospects of small, emerging or new rural industries.
2.Identify the key constraints to the establishment
of rural industries and develop well directed R&D
projects and programs to overcome them.
3.Assist industries to develop well co-ordinated and
effective R&D programs.
4.Assist industries with the development of mechanisms
for future industry funding of R&D.
5.Ensure, as far as practicable, that scarce R&D
funds are directed into the highest payoff areas.
6.Develop technology packages and 'know how' sufficient
to support the growth of new industries and the sustainability
of existing smaller industries.
7.Promote the adoption of RIRDC-sponsored R&D within
industry practice and business management.
Overview
The Corporation manages 14 separate industry based programs in its specific industry portfolio. Twelve of these R&D programs relate to specific industry sectors or to a grouping of related sectors. Each has well defined objectives and strategies set down in a separately published 'Program Plans' booklet. The remaining two programs, New Plant Products and New Animal Products, are generic in nature. They have broader objectives and strategies to identify new prospects and to assist them through the early steps of new industry development.
Within each specific industry program, the Corporation addresses each component of the market chain from the identification of the best plant or animal generic stocks for production through to the end use product. Hence at any time production, processing and/or marketing issues are addressed within the program depending on the significance and priority of the issue for the industry. The issues addressed by RIRDC are related also to other activities within the industry; for example, developing quality standards, developing processing facilities or exploring new markets.
The principle achievements during 1994-95 from RIRDC's 14 specific industry R&D programs are set down in the following pages. A full listing of projects appears in RIRDC's 'Program Plans' booklet, while one page summaries of all completed projects appear in our research compendiums. Interested readers can also refer to our published research reports.
Last updated: 9 August 1996
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