A BROADACRE cropping industry is being developed in North Queensland, with commercial-scale trials of oilseeds, pulses, grain cereals and forage crops set to create new opportunities for farmers.
A new agreement between the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) will see millions of dollars invested in on-the-ground research across northern Australia.
The first round of projects were announced at a grower field day at the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Walkamin research facility on the Atherton Tablelands this week.
The three separate projects include:
- Oilseed crop trials to determine which perform best in northern conditions to take the best to commercial production in three years.
- A trial of sorghum and maize varieties in the Gilbert and Burdekin catchments to see which best suit the environment.
- A project with Georgetown grower Brendan Fry focused on establishing a replicated irrigated on-farm research site on the soil type most representative of the 20,000ha of potential irrigable soils in the region.
CRCNA chair Sheriden Morris said the direct beneficiaries from this work will be growers across the north looking to expand or diversify existing operations.
"We've taken a serious step towards developing a broadacre cropping industry for northern Australia - to support and complement the cattle industry and develop a new income stream for pastoralists or producers keen to diversify," Ms Morris said.
"Regional communities and towns will also benefit from the additional investment and complementary industries which result from economic diversification."
GRDC chair John Woods said this was the first significant investment in developing a commercial-scale broadacre cropping industry across northern Australia.
"Producers need the best information and the confidence to invest in the opportunity. That's why these investments in grains R&D will be key to informing them on the crops and management practices required in the region," Mr Woods said.
"The strength in these investments is that they are collaborative - every project is underpinned by private and public partnerships."
It is expected the FNQ model will be replicated in the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia, with projects currently in development in these jurisdictions.
Ms Morris said although each team would focus on different aspects of the cropping sector, project participants have committed to share their learnings, knowledge and research findings.
"This new model will avoid duplication and maximise the impact of the research for all involved," she said.