Victorian Government invests in grain industry

Thanks to a $15 million investment, the Victorian Government is set to fast-track cereal, oilseed and pulse crop improvements by transforming the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) into a more accessible database by 2027.

Gayle Tierney, Minister for Agriculture, announced a $30 million co-investment between the Labor Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), which will give researchers more access to a wider range of genes to boost productivity and profitability in grain crops.

“The digital transformation of the Australian Grains Genebank will fast-track research and production of more resilient and profitable crop varieties — benefiting Victorian and Australian grain growers,” Tierney said.

The AGG is the national centre for grain crop genetic resources in Australia, located at Agriculture Victoria’s Horsham SmartFarm.

Researchers have traditionally encountered challenges in identifying desirable genes within national and international gene banks. The investment will make the plant genetic resources conserved within the AGG more accessible and valuable to the Australian grains industry.

This investment will better connect the AGG to international gene banks and link plant genetic resources to research and breeding knowledge, allowing better crop varieties in growers’ paddocks sooner.

“New and improved genetics are key to developing crop varieties that will cope with increased climatic challenges and deliver consistent, profitable yields for Australian grain growers,” said GRDC Chair John Woods.

AGG-supported research will see high-yielding, adaptable and profitable grain crop varieties developed faster, supporting Australia’s $40 billion grains industry.

This announcement coincides with the completion of a $1.8 million seed multiplication facility that enables rapid production and distribution of seed for plant genetic resources stored in the AGG.

Image credit: iStock.com/Janine Lamontagne