Speech Notes for Crop Updates - Redman.
Author: Terry Redman
Published on: 25-February-2010
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Challenges and volatility
· The last 12 months have seen enormous volatility for the entire grains industry with record highs and lows - a situation that is becoming all too common.
· In 2009 we saw a growing season that didn’t start out too well with a generally late opening and little stored moisture in most districts. Planting programs were cut back accordingly.
· The remainder of the season was also irregular which meant yields were generally very disappointing.
· Many of our central wheat belt growers were affected by frost and much of the South West had little rain in the latter part of the growing season.
· And of course, the high Aussie dollar has been great for holidays overseas, but not so good for returns to your pocket.
· So I understand that 2009-10 has been a difficult year for many of you, with most farm business reviews generating at best, less than break-even positions.
· In some good news, I understand that the outlook for farm budgets in 2010 appear to be better than the outcome of the 2009 season for most growers.
Agency Reform
· The Department of Agriculture and Food has also faced some significant challenges in the past twelve months. But what has not changed is the commitment of the Department and its staff to support agriculture and food industries as essential contributors to the economy.
· It is more important than ever that the Department of Agriculture and Food - as an economic development agency- is focussed on activities that result in bigger profits for industry.
· In 2009, the department engaged in a significant level of consultation with industry to identify what you want from them. Listening to you, their clients, has led the department to refocus its direction around a number of key initiatives to support the grains industry. That means that instead of spreading the Department’s resources over many activities, we are going to focus on the key priorities that will make a real difference to you.
Bridging the Yield Gap
· In times of uncertainty, the ability of farm businesses to maintain productivity gains is critical. The ability to remain resilient is critical. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to improve yield.
· In response to the challenges you are facing, I am pleased to announce the first of a series of grains initiatives to underpin the international competitiveness of the WA grains industry.
· The “Bridging the Yield Gap” initiative aims to increase crop yields in higher rainfall environments. That is, areas with annual rainfalls greater than 350mm.
· Growers in high rainfall areas do well, but we think they can do even better. From modelling, we see an opportunity to increase production by two million tonnes of grain per year from this area by 2015.
· This equates to an extra half a billion dollars from our grain crop.
· Previously, the Department has focussed on a component of the whole system – like soil acidity, herbicide resistance or crop canopies. They had been working on one piece of the jigsaw at a time, without really considering the entire puzzle.
· What the Bridging the Yield Gap initiative is all about, is looking at the entire picture – the sum total of the parts. We need to look at traditional problems that hold farmers back like soils and plant physiology. But we also need to look at the people constraints – we need to understand what’s holding our people back from adopting new technologies and new ways of doing business.
· Average crop yields in these high rainfall environments have been static at around 2.5 tonnes per hectare for the past 15 years, despite access to new disease resistant and higher yielding varieties.
· So, cropping in high rainfall areas is not meeting its potential– and we want to know why. A key part of this initiative is about working out what questions we should be asking in order to find the answers you need.
· This initiative represents a huge shift in resources for the Department. In the first year, $3million will be re-directed into this initiative.
· This amount will rise significantly in the following 3 years as the research issues are identified and work commences on addressing them.
· We have been talking the talk about realigning the Department to focus on areas of industry need – and this initiative is the start of us walking the walk.
· The results of this initiative will see our farmers better equipped to make decisions on their cropping systems because they will have more and better information at their fingertips. Better information, better decisions, better yields.
· While we’re on the subject of embracing new technology, as part of the initiative, the Department is developing a new tool on its website specifically for growers and consultants in high rainfall environments that will be accessible to anyone interested in improving grain yields in WA.
· This website will be developed with growers and consultants so that it provides timely and relevant cropping information. For example, you will be able to make improved nutrient management decisions and be updated on new varieties.
· So how is the ‘Bridging the Yield Gap’ initiative going to roll out? In the first twelve months of the initative we’re going to do three things:
1) Consultation. We need to identify the soils with the greatest potential for significant yield increases. We can only do this by talking to you.
2) Identification. We need to document what is stopping growers from adopting the latest technologies and working out how we can overcome these constraints together.
3) Action. Putting in place a system so that growers, consultants and researchers can work together to make the adoption of new technology easier.
· This initiative will identify what is needed to overcome yield constraints – and we will use this information to decide where we need to target our research to improve yields.
· To use a sporting analogy, what we want to do is turn our V8 growers into Formula One growers. The ones we are targeting are already operating at a high level, but we want them to really open the throttle.
· I see this initiative as a great demonstration of this Government’s commitment to making decisions and putting resources where they will make the most difference.
Key Government decision to give farmers choice on GM
· Another key Government decision aimed at giving growers more flexibility within their businesses is GM canola.
· On the 25 January this year the Premier and I announced that growers in Western Australia would have the choice to grow genetically modified canola which has been approved by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator as safe to human health and the environment.
· This decision allows grain growers to access another tool to help manage weeds and grow your profitability.
· The Government believes that you should have choice in the technology you use on farm and that the Government should not stand in the way if you want to grow GM canola.
· The objectives of the 2009 GM canola trial program were to test and demonstrate the grain industry’s ability to segregate GM from non-GM canola and to demonstrate the agronomic viability of GM canola under Western Australian conditions.
· The trial showed that industry can effectively segregate GM and non-GM canola. This demonstrates that WA can provide both to the market and give greater grower and market choice.
· All growers participating in the trial program were pleased with their harvest results, were enthusiastic about the way the technology helped weed management and believed that the technology was viable in their farming systems.
· The Government will continue with its science-based approach for new GM technologies. This is appropriate and similar to the careful approach taken in other jurisdictions worldwide.
· New technology is always exciting but must be treated with care to ensure it is employed in the most appropriate situations.
· I am confident about the Government’s decision to allow GM cotton and canola in WA - but we all have a role to play in building community acceptance and understanding of this technology.
In Closing
· We need to work collaboratively with our local, national and international partners to ensure that we have access to a continued flow of technology and other innovations.
· I see a vital role for industry to continue to contribute and participate.
· I want to reiterate very strongly the need to strive for the best affordable innovation to underpin our international competitiveness.
· Finally, I would like to acknowledge the GRDC as a key contributor to the WA grains industry, in particular, their ongoing support to the Agribusiness Crop Updates.
· It is my pleasure now to officially open the 2010 Agribusiness Crop Updates. Thank you.
