Adelaide, Southern Australia
July 19, 2007
The University of Adelaide
has signed the final agreement of a five-year, $23.5 million
research program with industry and government to develop new
barley varieties, expected to be worth billions of dollars to
domestic and export markets.
The latest agreement, worth
$5.7 million, has been signed with leading agribusiness
ABB Grain. ABB Grain will
provide cash and in-kind support for the University's research
activities.
"The University of Adelaide is
highly regarded for its plant breeding programs, with the
research at our
Waite
Campus recognised as among the best in the world," says the
University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President
(Research), Professor
Alan Johnson AM.
"This deal ensures that our
barley breeding program will remain at the forefront of
agricultural research and development in Australia, for the
benefit of industry and the community. It will strengthen our
already strong links with industry and government."
The University of Adelaide
leads the southern node of the nationally coordinated barley
breeding venture, Barley Breeding Australia (BBA).
BBA is supported by growers and
the Australian Government through the
Grains Research and
Development Corporation (GRDC), the Department of
Agriculture & Food WA, the NSW and Victorian Departments of
Primary Industries, the Queensland Department of Primary
Industries and Fisheries and the University of Adelaide.
Commercialisation of varieties developed through the southern
node of BBA will be conducted by ABB Grain.
"This agreement wouldn't be
possible without the support of both industry and government,"
says Dr Jason Eglinton, Barley Program Leader in the
University's School
of Agriculture, Food & Wine.
"For example, ABB Grain plays a
critical role not only in commercialisation but also evaluating
new malting varieties through its wholly owned subsidiary,
Joe White Maltings,
and conducting export market development. Our links with
government at State and Federal levels are also important, with
germplasm from departments of primary industry in New South
Wales and Victoria contributing to the development of new
varieties."
The University's
commercialisation arm,
Adelaide Research &
Innovation, last year named ABB Grain as its
commercialisation partner for the barley varieties Flagship and
Fleet Australia. This is the first year that commercial volumes
of Flagship - which has been specifically developed for the
large brewing and malting markets in South East Asia, China and
Japan - have been available for general planting by growers.
|
ABB
and the University of Adelaide sign five-year barley
breeding agreement |
Source: ABB
Grain
Premier integrated agribusiness,
ABB Grain, has shown its
commitment to the Australian grains industry by
signing a five-year, $5.7 million cooperation
agreement with
the University of Adelaide.
ABB director and Owen district grower, Dr Andy Barr,
said new malting and feed barley varieties would be
developed under the agreement for both export and
domestic markets to suit growing conditions in SA,
Victoria and New South Wales.
“Under the agreement, ABB will contribute $5.7
million in cash and in-kind support for the
research,” Dr Barr said.
“The University of Adelaide is conducting the
research in its role as the southern node of Barley
Breeding Australia. It will combine germplasm from
the university and departments of Primary Industry
in NSW, Victoria and Queensland and the WA
Agriculture Dept.
“This latest agreement with the university
demonstrates ABB’s continuing commitment to research
and development and ensuring the competitiveness of
the barley industry in south-eastern Australia.”
Under the agreement ABB will contribute to
evaluation of any new malting varieties through its
wholly owned malting subsidiary, Joe White Maltings.
“ABB will commercialise any newly developed
varieties to growers and develop export and domestic
markets for the varieties,” Dr Barr said.
“The benefit to ABB, and growers who are
shareholders, is that the company will share in any
revenue received from varieties released during the
life of the agreement through revenue of seed sales,
a share of breeder’s royalties and fees for
management of licensing growers and collection of
the breeder royalty.”
In March last year the university’s
commercialisation arm, Adelaide Research &
Innovation, named ABB as its commercialisation
partner for Flagship and Fleet barleys.
This is the first year that commercial volumes of
Flagship – which has been specifically developed for
the large brewing and malting markets in South East
Asia, China and Japan – has been available for
general planting by growers.
Flagship has substantially improved yield and
disease resistance compared to older varieties such
as Schooner and Sloop, as well as improved malting
quality to ensure Australian barley exports remain
competitive in the international market.
The university and
Grains Research and
Development Corporation (GRDC) also will contribute $17.8
million to the barley breeding agreement. |
Other news
from ABB Grain |
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