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AgInnovators backs Aust. Ingenuity for global markets
IF THE AGRICULTURE sector wants to take advantage of high value niche opportunities in global markets, a more rapid uptake and leverage of innovation is a must according to one of the instigators of NSW Farmers’ AgInnovators portal.
Craig Swanger, chief investment officer for Engenious Private Equity and former CEO of Macquarie Agricultural Funds Management, said at the national launch of NSW Farmers’ AgInnovators in Sydney, that Australia must move rapidly to exploit the opportunities created by the trade deal with China.
“International competition is fierce. Australia has a very strong global reputation for high quality food and fibre, but innovation is essential to identify the most prospective niche products and to efficiently get product to market,” Mr Swanger said.
“A web portal like AgInnovators.org.au can help focus the discussion and enable people along the supply chain to narrow down opportunities,” he said.
The new portal is an initiative of NSW Farmers, leaders in agricultural advocacy, and is focussed on modernising the Australian food and fibre industry. It is supported by leading innovation bodies including CSIRO, Rabobank, National ICT Australia (NICTA) and Food Innovation Australia.
Mr Swanger said NSW Farmers and its national partners in the portal such as CSIRO and NICTA were in a unique position to link up the many stakeholders across the value chain and communicate opportunities and solutions.
NSW Farmers’ CEO Matt Brand said that taking advantage of the Australia-China trade deal depended upon increasing the competiveness and efficiency of the entire agricultural value chain.
“Australian agriculture is at a turning point,” Mr Brand said. “The potential arising from new markets and new technology is huge.
“Old thinking, and farmers staying on their side of the farmgate, won’t cut it. Everyone in the industry must embrace change and work collaboratively to build the brand and restore local food and fibre manufacturing.”
Hugh Durrant-Whyte, CEO of NICTA, an AgInnovators partner, said digital technology had opened up huge new opportunities to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Australian agriculture.
“We hear constantly about the ‘Asian Century’ and ‘food security’ and how Australia can benefit from increasing demand, but it is information technology developed by organisations like NICTA that will be key to realising these visions,” Mr Durrant-Whyte said.
NSW Farmers is working with farmers and representative organisations nationally as part of a general push to help the sector prepare for the future and AgInnovators is at the centre of that push.
The association expects AgInnovators to become the place to go for news and information on breakthrough research and innovative strategies and announcements within agriculture.
AgInnovators is supported by national and international partners including NICTA, CSIRO, Rabobank, the Australian Government Department of Industry, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, Sense-T and the University of New England.
They will contribute content to help connect the world of technology, business and communication with leading agricultural thinkers.
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