Millions invested in drought research hubs to grow farm jobs

Millions of dollars are being invested in a drought research hub at the University of Southern Queensland, in the hope it will lock in future innovation and grow jobs.

In the past decade the Australian agricultural sector has grown from being worth $40 billion annually to more than $60 billion.

Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said that growth came through innovation and hoped a $19 million dollar drought research hub based in Toowoomba would lock in future innovation and growth.

It is part of an $86 million investment in a series of research hubs across the county, the first of which will be based at University of Southern Queensland.

Led by climate expert Professor Roger Stone, it will gather data from the thousands of agricultural research projects across the country and look for ways to commercialise that knowledge.

“Australia has some of the most extreme weather conditions on the planet,” Prof Stone said.

“We go from extreme drought to extreme flood year after year, but every time we seem to be caught by surprise.

“We can have all the climate and weather data in the world, but it does not mean a thing if it does not lead to a change in management.”

The hub will lead farm trials and centralise data from 15 commodity research and development corporations to eliminate duplication.

This information will be shared with farmers and agribusinesses across Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales via research nodes in Stanthorpe, Roma, Longreach, Lismore and Narrabri.

It will include a website where Australian and international researchers can access – and add to – this data.

“We want them to come here, to invest with us and that is going to create more jobs in the regions,” Mr Littleproud said.

“For the first time in our nation’s history we will have all the research and development in agricultural science and technology on one digital platform, so the world knows exactly what we are doing and in what university,

“Before it was disjointed, with no forward thinking or collaboration.”

The government and USQ hoped the result will be more jobs and more investment in technology to boost farm productivity.

“These are the new jobs of agriculture,” Mr Littleproud said.

“We are going to bring our young people home.

“We have lost generations of young people to rural Australia and not everyone can afford to get back on the land.

“But they can get into the new and exciting jobs in research.”