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.Centre for New Industries Development
Agriculture Western Australia
3 Baron-Hay Court
South Perth, Western Australia 6151
Telephone: 08 9368 3940
Facsimile: (08) 9368 3791
International fax: 61 8 9368 3791
Email: tdunn@agric.wa.gov.au
New industry development is an imperative. It is not simply one of the options available for the financial and environmental survival of Australia's agricultural sector.
This is an era of unprecedented technological advancement. Our consumers are more educated and sophisticated than ever before and are not confined to any particular geographical area but may well be trans-national.
Unreliable environmental conditions, volatile commodity prices and ever more resourceful competitors entering the market place are constant threats to our traditional industries. Now, more than ever, new industries are vital to agricultural sustainability.
The New Industries Program was established in 1996 as an initiative of Agriculture Western Australia in response to changes which were occurring in agricultural production, processing and marketing.
The aim of the New Industries Program is to develop industries able to provide new products which can contribute to the diversity and sustainability of the agricultural sector in Western Australia.
Supporting the creation of new rural industries is an area of high risk. The strategies of the New Industries Program are targeted to reduce and manage the recognised areas of risk and to increase the potential for earlier commercial viability.
The New Industries Program works most effectively in partnership with groups of industry participants, applying a rigorous framework to new agricultural industry development.
This framework avoids picking winners or focusing solely on technology development.
The approach structures the assessment of development opportunities in a systematic and strategic manner, assisting with targeted action to develop industries and enterprises concurrently.
Assistance is provided, as appropriate, for the stage of development that an industry has achieved. Guidance is provided to assist industries addressing those issues which affect progress towards commercial establishment. Such issues may include marketing, production, technology, finance, legal, management and supporting infrastructure matters.
This Program encourages innovative ideas to surface from considered positions of optimism and stability.
This approach has an advantage over the frequent situation confronting the rural industries: being driven by urgent reactions to periodic rural crises. Such a positive approach encourages the optimal allocation of available resources. It also distributes program support amongst the widest possible range of opportunities.
The strategic direction of the New Industries Program is set by the New Industries Program Partnership Group, appointed by the Western Australian Minister for Primary Industries.
This Group comprises
The Partnership Group acts to identify key new industry development issues, assist development of the program's strategic plan and provide ongoing strategic direction for the Program's operations.
The recently established Centre for New Industries Development is the "shopfront".
Through the Centre program staff operate and promote the New Industries Program, develop links with potential new industry participants and attract and introduce new industry ideas.
This Centre provides public sector leadership in attracting, evaluating and developing new industries. It processes information from a broad range of commercial and agricultural disciplines, as well as experience from private enterprise in the process of industry assessment, prior to advancing new industry development.
Key clients of the Centre for New Industries Development are diversifying farmers and business people, along with national and international investors seeking new products or new production areas to supply their markets.
The New Industries Program, through the Centre for New Industries Development, also serves groups participating in rural revitalisation.
These groups have the creative talents and enthusiasm to progress new industry ideas.
The Program provides awareness of new industry opportunities and support for those participants who wish to move beyond enthusiasm to a commercial approach to developing new industries.
The New Industries Program reaches key clients through a range of activities such as highlighting case studies of successful industry development, distributing media releases and participating in agricultural meetings, shows and field days.
The Program is also planning and hosting the "New Rural Industries 1998" First National Conference to be held in Western Australia in October 1998 (there are details in the New Crops Conference section of this issue of the newsletter; or refer to the Web Site:
http://www.promaco.com.au/conference/98/newrural/index.html).
The Conference, under the banner of "Advancing Innovation", will bring together leaders in new industry development to challenge conventional thinking and stimulate innovation.
It will examine the processes of new industry development and share state, national and international approaches to the acceleration of industry growth.
The New Industries Program has established strategic alliances with other state and federal government programs and private sector initiatives and works in collaboration and cooperation with these other service providers. The aim is to add value through partnering these allies to produce reciprocal cost, resource or outcome benefits.
Such alliances are an essential part of providing a seamless delivery of public sector industry growth support.
Since the inception of the Program, significant investment has been made in the establishment of cotton and sugar industries at the Ord River Irrigation Area, in the north of Western Australia.
As these new major regional industries become more commercially established, the value of their ongoing production will repay the Program investment many times over.
Other projects currently at some stage of development include inland salt water aquaculture, bushfoods, camels, jojoba, olives, seed potatoes, bamboo shoots, cocoa and short grain rice.
As the Centre for New Industries Development expands its experience of new agricultural industry activities, it will progressively release a range of industry 'Fact Sheets' for public distribution.
Fact Sheets currently published include:
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