BRS SEMINAR SERIES PRESENTS:Friday 10 February

The Ceaseless Search for the New

Max Bourke — RIRDC

In farming businesses, whether it be family farmers of industrial scale or tree changers, there is a relentless pursuit of new crops to meet the needs for food and fibre fashions, new medicinals and neutraceuticals, and new approaches to softer farming technologies. For nearly 20 years Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) has been investing in research and development to meet these needs. Some of the crops supported like canola and lupins are now mainstream, while others that seem old have only recently reached economic maturity like olives andcoffee. On the near horizon are crops as diverse as truffles, capers, industrial hemp, noog, guayule and Chilean guavas or Red Bay Berries. This presentation will explore the establishment and planning of the New Plants, Wildflowers and Native Plants Programs of Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

THE CEASELESS SEARCH FOR THE NEW

RURAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: NEW PLANT PRODUCTS

Max Bourke AMResearch Manager

mbourke@ruralfunds.com.au

PRESENTATION STRUCTURE• ENTREPRENEURS AND

ENTREPRENEURSHIP• DEMAND CHANGES• MARKET STRUCTURE CHANGES• ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN NEW

INDUSTRIES• RIRDC AND NEW AND EMERGING

INDUSTRIES• NEW PLANT PRODUCTS

IN YOUR LIVING ROOM RECENTLY?

THE NEW LEXICON• NOVEL FOODS• PRE OR SEMI PREPARED• ’28 MINUTE FOOD’, DASHBOARD FOOD, ‘PESTER

POWER’• SLICED AND DICED EVERYTHING• DOY POUCHES, VACUPAKS, BREATHABLE PACKS• NEUTRACEUTICAL, BIOACTIVES• ORGANIC EVERYTHING, including H2O!• BRUSCHETTAS, SALSAS, MARMALADES,ROULADES

of anything!

ALTERNATE PACKAGING• These 3 well

packaged products contain:

• Antioxidants• Vitamins A • Sterols• Anthocyanins• Polyphenols• All good for you in moderation

and readily available!

CHANGING MARKETS

• TRADITIONAL: farmer wholesalemarket/aggregation retailer

• GLOBAL: basic demand from population growth, out of season, novel commodities

• DIRECT CONTRACTING TO WHOLESALE/RETAIL INC FOOD SERVICE.

• FARMERS’ MARKETS back to the future?

KEY POINTS FROM RECENT STUDIES

“There has been a steady rise in the average size of farming operations and amount of capital invested…the number of farm businesses fell by 29 per cent

over the period 1983-84 to 2003-04…Over the same period, average area cropped per farm rose by 30 per cent…”

“The processed food and beverage industry is Australia’s largest manufacturing industry…”

“…10 per cent of Australian farm businesses account for over 50 per cent of farm output…the production of farms in the largest economic size category increased

by…almost three times the increase in the share of farms in this category…”

“The trend towards more intensive farming has resulted in higher output despite less land being used for agriculture….”

“A key source of productivity growth in agriculture has been the generation of new knowledge or technology…”there is a growing agreement that R&D is a crucial

determinant of agricultural productivity”.

NEW PLANTS AND WILDFLOWERS

• Native plant crops• Culinary herbs, spices and beverages• Extractive and fibre crops• Prospective fruit fibre, vegetable and nut

crops• Prospective grain and pulse crops• Miscellaneous crops and activities• WILDFLOWERS AND NATIVE PLANTS

SOME CROPS SUPPORTED OVER 20 YRS• SUGAR• CANOLA• LUPINS• MUSHROOMS• CASHEWS • WALNUTS• DRIED FRUITS• LYCHEES• BUCKWHEAT• ADZUKI/KINTOKI• JOJOBA

• MUNTHARIES• NATIVE LIMES• OLIVES• CAPERS• TRUFFLES• COCOA• COFFEE• TEA• TAZZIBERRIES• OIL SEEDS FOR HEALTH

AND INDUSTRIAL USE• HEMP• GUAR• GUAYULE

Caper bush

Coffee harvesting

Native Citrus Glace

Eucalypts for floricultureTruffles

Novel oil seeds for health and industry

Boab tubers for roots and tops

Cocoa growing and processing

Australian grown teaDiverse minor tropical fruits

Native red flower for Chinese New Year

References to Programs and Evaluations

• New Plant Crops: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/programs/npp.html

• Current research in progress:• http://www.rirdc.gov.au/comp05/npp1.html• Evaluation:

http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/returns/04-161.pdf

From Foster et al (2005) “Emerging Animal and Plant Industries: their value to Australia. RIRDC. For FY 2003/4 or

calendar 2004

426,718431,186673,701TOTAL

423,340290,732469,717TOTAL PLANT INDUSTRIES

-19,12822,500Wildflowers and native plants

58978936,676Selected exotic tropical fruits

38,2919,2555,500Selected culinary spices

16,44716715Sesame seed

1,11414,5325,580Pyrethrum

18,63656,31648,893Pasture seeds

152,5762,93333,750Olives

4,034106,176151,455Macadamia Nuts

275-531Jojoba

22,69638,03021,632Essential Oils

168,68237,3063,280Coffee

01003,305Australian Native Foods

6,000135,600Asian Vegetables

Plant Industries

3,378140,454203,984Total Animal Industries

Imports $’000Exports $’000Value of prod, $’000Commodity

FURTHER INFORMATIONFURTHER INFORMATION• CONTACT:• Max Bourke• Tel 0427 603541• mbourke@ruralfunds

.com.au• RIRDC: PO Box

4776 Kingston, ACT 2604