While
Australia has so far played a very small role from a consumer
point of view, the future will lie in using some of our
farming techniques and unique plant varieties in other parts
of the world.Due to the small
size of the forage market in Australia we have few breeders of
forage and turf grasses. The small number of breeders, however
does not mean that great riches cannot be found from breeding
in this climate. Australia has a climate of extremes and this
provides fertile ground for breeding for unique
characteristics.
My company, Valley Seeds, has been
trialing its Australian bred varieties in many countries
around the world and found a significant degree of adaptation,
and also the potential to deliver unique benefits to farmers.
Australia could also play a part in
contract production for proprietary owners, particularly for
export into Asia. Australia has a small but professional group
of seed growers who have been successful at producing high
quality seed and exporting it to almost all parts of the
world.
