NOTICE: Hard copies of the Australian New Crops Newsletter are available from the publisher, Dr Rob Fletcher. Details of availability are included in the
Advice on Publications Available.The commercial development of new crops and new agricultural industries offers many potential benefits for Australia. For individual farmers, they offer the opportunity to diversify their farming systems and to reduce their reliance on a few established crops or enterprises. With a decline in prices for many crops in recent years the availability of a range of crops offers farmers an opportunity to select those crops which offer the best economic prospects.
For the Australian community new crops can reduce the levels of imports and provide opportunities for increased exports. They also have the potential to greatly improve Australia's balance of trade and to boost employment. While only about 5% of Australia's work force is directly involved in agriculture, it has been estimated that a further 17% depend on agricultural production because of their involvement in its transport, storage and processing .
This newsletter is intended for those with an interest in the commercial development of new crops. We plan to report on the work being done on new crop research and development in Australia and on interesting new overseas developments. As well, we will publicise relevant meetings and publications in the field of new crop development, as they become known to us. The newsletter will be issued twice yearly.
This newsletter is being prepared and distributed as part of a Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation/ Grains Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC/GRDC)-funded project, being jointly undertaken by the University of Queensland Gatton College (UQG), CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, St Lucia (DTCP), Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Hermitage (QDPI) and New South Wales Agriculture, Tamworth (NSWA). While the project is directed at new crop development for northern Australia, it is planned that this newsletter will provide a national coverage.
We invite your comments and suggestions and welcome submissions for inclusion in future issues. A distribution list is being prepared and we invite requests for inclusion in this distribution list.
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF