The Australian Government is expanding the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub to catalyse agricultural innovation, drive commercialisation and create jobs.
Federal Agriculture and Northern Australia Minister David Littleproud said the government has allocated additional funding for each Hub to develop regionally focused and responsive innovation and adoption strategies and to undertake activities.
“This investment is the next phase in the evolution of the Drought Hubs from being just drought focused to being focused on Innovation more broadly,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The Tropical North Queensland based hub—led by James Cook University—is one of eight established across the country in April this year through the government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund.
“These hubs are key to unlocking the potential of the agricultural innovation system, enabling people to collaborate and deliver regionally targeted productivity gains.
“The hubs will build connections between researchers, technology developers, investors, producers and agribusinesses to drive innovation and digital technology uptake across industry and the supply-chain.
“The hubs will always be a shopfront for farmers to access innovative technologies and practices that enable them to be more prepared and resilient to drought.
“Now, as part of the National Agricultural Innovation Agenda, we are expanding their remit into broader agricultural innovation activities and outcomes.”
“We are providing the right conditions to help the agricultural sector to modernise, improve, innovate and grow,” Minister Littleproud said.
Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch said the Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub will become the flagship for agricultural innovation in this part of the state.
“A major focus of the Tropical North Queensland Hub is creating transformative agricultural systems, complemented by technologies to make R&D useful to farmers and regional and remote communities,” Mr Entsch said.
“This will support farmers and communities all the way from the Gulf to the North West, Cape York, Burdekin, Fitzroy Basin, Mackay and the Whitsundays.
For more details visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/drought/future-drought-fund/research-adoption-program/adoption-innovation-hubs/tropical-north-queensland-hub
