Cotton irrigators in the region are set to benefit from a $4 million research and development funding scheme which could increase their profits by up to $40,000 per year.
The project, Smarter Irrigation for Profit, is a partnership between the major irrigation industries of cotton, dairy, rice and sugar.
A significant slice of the multi-million dollar grant will flow to the Narrabri shire, with two of the 12 individual research stations to be run in the local area.
Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC) Natural Resource Management officer Jane Trindall says this will be of great benefit to local farmers.
“It is a broad project, but for the local cotton industry there is a project happening at the Australian Cotton Research Institute which is called ‘Irrigation Scheduling Technologies for Cotton’,” she said.
“Smart, automated irrigation
demonstrations will also be conducted in the area, which aim to increase yields per megalitre of water used.
“Farmers will be able to go and see these technologies at work and ask researchers how they might be applied on their own properties, one of the real local benefits of this project.”
Narrabri will play a pivotal part in the scheme which will be facilitated by the CRDC in Narrabri.
The CRDC will work in conjunction with Dairy Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Sugar Research Australia and other research partners.
The project aims to improve the profit of each individual irrigation enterprise across the four industries by $20,000-40,000 per annum, with the support of 16 research and development partners and up to 19 farmer-managed learning sites.
CRDC Executive Director Bruce Finney welcomed the funding for irrigated agriculture. He says irrigated agriculture is responsible for 30 percent of all agricultural production in Australia and half the profit.
“This is a large-scale, ambitious project designed to achieve a 10-20 percent improvement in water productivity, efficiency and farmer profitability, while also improving cross-sector industry research collaboration,” Mr Finney said.
“It is designed to increase on-farm profitability by integrating new irrigation scheduling and delivery technologies into good irrigation practice.
“Our aim is to increase on-farm profit through the adoption of automated and precision application technologies.” CRDC is the Australian cotton industry’s research, development and extension investment body funded by Australian cotton growers and the Australian Government.