Western Australia
July 27, 2009
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Conservation farming – WANTFA members inspect seedling
canola protected by retained cereal stubble |
The
Conservation Farmers
organization (CFI) has welcomed news that grower driven grains
research in Western Australia has returned $327 million in
industry benefits for just $9 million investment over 9 years
a benefit-cost ratio of 36 to one.
The figures are the result of a review of
Grains Research and Development
Corporation (GRDC) investment in eight
WA No-Till Farmers
Association's (WANTFA's) research and extension programs by
the Queensland-based economic research agency Agtrans Research.
CFI executive officer Michael Burgis says the success of grower
driven grains research in Western Australia should be mirrored
in the eastern Australian states.
"WANTFA and CFI have similar missions, encouraging grower
adoption of no-till and conservation cropping with all its
economic and environmental benefits," Mr Burgis said.
"The Federal Department of Agriculture recognises that no-till
farming is critical to Australian farm sustainability, because
it reduces soil erosion by wind and water and retains ground
cover, simultaneously improving rain infiltration and retaining
that extra moisture for the production of crops.
"That in turn leads to higher yields of grain, even making it
possible for growers to grow harvestable crops in dry years,
which they would not be able to do under under old-fashioned
farming systems of continuous soil tillage.
"And it does all this at little or no extra cost to the grower."
WANTFA is a member of the Conservation Agriculture Alliance of
Australia and New Zealand (CAAANZ) and that organisation's chief
executive officer, Toowoomba based John Rochecouste, says
WANTFA¹s achievements are extraordinary.
"We should also recognise that such results have been partly due
to the ability of the WANTFA team to draw in significant
complementary industry investment," Mr Rochecouste said.
"They have managed an excellent blend of scientific technical
capacity with farmer practicality.
"Western Australian farmers are very supportive of grower groups
generally and in turn that has brought in industry investment,
which was certainly evident when I attended their conference
earlier this year.
"This is encouraging news for levy paying farmers and the
Australian Government, and I am sure it will be reflected in
increased grower group support generally". |
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