Section 2 - Sugar Research and Development Corporation

SRDC fostered the greater use of economic tools
such as gross margin analysis by cane harvesters
and growers operators in decision-making with
a focus on profi tability and not just productivity.
This aspect until now has been under developed
because key industry organisations generally
did not provide economic advice with extension
programs as it was assumed that high productivity
was best for all sectors of the industry.
SRDC support for extension of economic
information was essential for the rapid adoption
of improved cane farming systems and was
achieved in part by funding a wider range of
R&D providers not traditionally used in the sugar
industry. SRDC has long recognised that people
are the key to a prosperous and competitive
sugar industry. Traditionally, development of skills
and knowledge was through scholarships and
travel grants but more recently specifi c funding
for grower group R&D projects is returning
greater benefi ts because growers have much
greater ownership of the results and are more like
to adopt new and improved practices.
Integration of an extension component within
projects is gaining momentum and is encouraged
as this speeds adoption. Several extension and
promotion projects have been funded by SRDC
to identify and test new ways of increasing the
rate of adoption of improved technologies and
best management practices on farm.
IMPACT OF SRDC INVESTMENT ON R&D OUTCOMES
Many projects are providing signifi cant returns
for a relatively small investment – growers are
increasingly taking control of their own R&D
projects and working more closely with industry
researchers, rather than relying on other people
to solve on farm issues. Examples of such
successful projects include:
��harvest payment arrangements that provide
incentives for quality product,
��improved harvester design, effi ciency and
operation,
��harvesting and transport of crop to supply
additional fi bre for cogeneration,
��grower-monitoring and management of the
quality of water emanating from farms,
��integration of grain legume and other cash
crops to improve cane farming systems, and
��adaption of improved farming systems to suit
local conditions.
SRDC pursues a policy of supporting projects
where economic, environmental and social
impacts are all considered when planning and
evaluating research and development projects.
This means that projects are more likely to
provide outcomes that can be readily accessed
and adopted by industry people.
SRDC Annual Report 2010–2011 9