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| Rural Industries |
RIRDC supports a diverse
program of research as part of its charter to encourage the development
of new industries for Australia. It also supports research and
development for existing small industries which, although small,
may have captured a profitable market niche from where they contribute
to the Australian economy. Small industries have research and
development needs as do larger, more prominent industries.
The new plants and plant products program is loosely
categorised into four groups comprising industrial crops; tropical
fruits, vegetables and nuts; grains and pulses; and miscellaneous
crops. Many of the existing industry programs were developed
from this program and the Corporation considers the program to
be an important one from which individual industry programs can
be initiated.
RIRDC's achievements in this program include a study
of the alpaca industry in Peru, which will be used to aid the
further development of the Australian alpaca industry; and a study
into the commercial potential of harvesting wild animals. These
animals include natives such as kangaroos, possums, crocodiles
and emus, and introduced animals such as feral goats, horses and
wild boar, whose wholesale value exceeds $100m each year.
RIRDC is also supporting a major investigation into
emu processing. WA growers signed a $4.5m contract in mid-1993
to supply emu products to France and the US, while domestic contracts
were signed with Qantas, which is now serving emu meat.
Last updated: 10 October 1996
Copyright © RIRDC
Index of RIRDC Projects URL
http://www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/compendium/93-94/index.html