A Proposal for the Future of Agricultu Science, Education and Training in Queensland and northern Australia1

摘要

In recent years government investment in agricultural R&D has plateaued and numbers of agriculture students at vocational and tertiary institutions have declined. Effective and efficient research development and extension (RD&El will be essential to meet the challenges of future food and fibre production, as will education and training (E&T). The Australian Agricultural College Corporation (AACC) recently realigned with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), and anew alliance is developing between DEEDI and the University of Queensland (Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation - QAAFI). These alliances togetherwith the emerging national strategy for RD&E in Australian agriculture, present a uniqueopportunity to strengthen collaboration and complementarity between the various private and public sector organisations to deliver a much greater RD&E and E&T capability and capacity for Queensland agriculture. Clustering of strategic agricultural R&D insouth-east Queensland and strengthening linkages between institutions, campuses, centres and research facilities across regional Queensland will enhance the synergy and cost-effectiveness of these various public institutions. Strategies for improved national collaboration and local development and extension are proposed for Animal, Field Crop and Horticultural Crop sciences. Linkages across the RD&E and E&T sector and across Queensland locations are proposed.