Lifting the contribution research and development makes to the annual productivity growth of graingrowers, from 1.7 per cent to 3.0 per cent, is a key driver behind the $120 million the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) invests across Australia.

Addressing the Grains West Expo in Perth, GRDC Chairman Terry Enright said that while growers continued to invest in R&D, they, along with co-investor the Federal Government, expected maximum returns and one way of fast tracking this was better varieties delivered faster.

“The issue of Genetically Modified (GM) crops is therefore high on our agenda and we’d like to see their benefits made more accessible to growers,” Mr Enright said.

Along with resolving the GM issue, he prioritised progressing the ‘Single Vision’ strategy and increasing productivity of grains R&D.

“The recent formation of an interim board to implement Single Vision will help fast track the strategy and consolidate the grains industry to maximise grower returns through pooling industry resources and better sharing intellectual property.

“With international market dynamics changing so rapidly, Australia’s grains industry has to be adaptable to these changes,” he said.

Mr Enright said aligning plant breeding programs across the country was one way of better positioning the industry to meet such challenges.

“We’ve recently moved down this path with reviews of the pulse and barley sectors.”

A national pulse breeding program will unite field pea, chickpea, faba bean and lentil breeding programs, currently operating across five states.

“In May, we announced the formation of Barley Breeding Australia, which hopes to more than double the size of Australia’s 6.6 million tonne barley industry to satisfy expected demand increases by 2020.

“We face a constantly changing grains industry and we need to move quickly, positively and differently to keep ahead of our competition,” Mr Enright said.