Australia is to develop a new farming system which will boost productivity in its livestock and cropping industries while restoring health to the landscape.

A new research enterprise, the proposed Future Farm Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FFI CRC), will integrate perennial crops – including natives – into broadacre farming systems to improve profits, fight salinity and generate new regional industries and jobs.

“There is a debate on how big the salinity problem is.  We say it is still a very important threat to Australia’s water resources, biodiversity, towns and buildings.  However, in dealing with the threat now is the seeds of great opportunity,” says FFI CRC acting chair Andrew Inglis.

“The Future Farm Industries venture is about creating opportunities. It is a scientific and business solution designed to make millions of hectares of land more productive, restore water quality and biodiversity, enhance mainstream industries – and build new ones.

“This will develop sunrise industries and regional jobs based on sustainable production and the use of perennial vegetation, Mr Inglis says.

The FFI CRC is backed by the grains, wool and meat research corporations, the Landmark agribusiness company, six State Government department, CSIRO and four universities. In a unique development for a research entity, it will also admit individual farmers, farm advisers, regional and catchment authorities and farm groups as members.

The venture will use Profitable Perennials™ technology as a cornerstone to intensify production in existing grazing and cropping industries, and a foundation for new kinds of farm production systems.

Its planned outcomes include:

Productivity growth in existing industries: business and industry growth from higher annual rates of productivity gain in Australian dryland agriculture, particularly for meat, grain and wool industries in the temperate regions

Profitable new regional industries: new on-farm and regional manufacturing enterprises; exports of services and technologies

Reduced salinity damage: reduced impacts of dryland salinity on farming, biodiversity, water quality and other values

Enhanced biodiversity: benefits to biodiversity conservation from widespread adoption of new farming systems using perennial plant technologies

Sustainable land use changes: new perennial plant-based farming systems that conserve water, lock up carbon, suit subsoil conditions and are adapted to climate variability

Capacity building: improved capacity for research collaboration and service delivery in commercial and public sector agricultural and natural resource management organisations

“In answer to those who may be wondering “Can we do it?” I can state the foundation for these new farming systems has already been laid by the existing CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity,” Mr Inglis says.

“This has established a clear track record for developing improved perennial pasture types, innovative farming systems that yield higher returns and reduced environmental impact. Furthermore it has identified many perennials new to agriculture which can form the basis of new industries and farm production systems.

“The new FFI CRC aims to turn those opportunities into real industries, jobs and sustainable landscape – and add more.”

Its first stage application has received the green light from the Federal Government’s CRC Programme, the second stage application for FFI CRC will be lodged in August 2006.