A big day for Australian agricultural training, research,
development, and education – today: March
6, 2013.
Maybe, one of the
more important for many years.
Yes, I am an agricultural scientist, suffering from the ignorance
of the role we play in agriculture in Australia. Commonly ag scientists have
been seen as an easy target for governments over the past 20 years – after all,
no votes in the bush. So, various
governments have been radically reducing effort in agriculture with commonly
the staff agricultural scientists some of the first to go. NSW and Queensland have been vivid examples,
but SA and Victoria are not far behind.
Yet today, around Australia we see some changes that are
coming. And there are increasingly more jobs
available in agriculture.
Prof Mark Adams has been lauding the opening of new
facilities, operated in conjunction with several Chinese agricultural science
institutions, at Cobbity as part of facilities for Sydney University. The University of Sydney's $20 million Centre
for Carbon, Water and Food, funded by the federal government and the
University, will answer this call to develop more scientists, helping to ensure
Australia's future sustainability, as well as its potential to act as a
regional leader in food production and land management.
In South Australia, probably the largest injection of $$
into agricultural training, staff and new facilities due to $50 million – yes $50
million - in a total bequest from
several donors to boost development at the Waite Institute and related campuses
at Roseworthy. This has been announced
on the centenary of the Waite Institute.
Yet, still there is not much happening in north
Australia. Staff have been radically
chopped from various facilities and government organisations in Queensland and
the NT connected with agriculture and related activities. Research and Development are suffering
most. Berrimah Farm in the NT, the
premier research facility near Darwin is under threat to become a housing
estate, as is the AZRI south of Alice Springs, and quite a few facilities in
Queensland have been closed as well, including some of particular note with
significant facilities and equipment and well reputed staff. CSIRO agricultural activities continue to
retreat to the SE corner of Australia, and staff are leaving.
It is a bit hard to develop much in the north without people
to do it, who understand the particular issues based on living and working
there.
Yes, Ord Stage 2 in WA is underway, with a Chinese sovereign
related company doing the development.
While Australia does need the money to go into agricultural development,
do we need to sell off our land to achieve it?
And will there be Australian agricultural scientists working there or
Chinese?
Will there be a re-emergence of Agricultural Science in
Australia over the next 10 years?............Hopefully.
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