Guy Barnett,Minister for Primary Industries and Water
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is proud to be investing in agricultural research facilities to help take sectors like the dairy industry to the next level.
We are contributing $3 million towards upgrades to the Elliott Dairy Research Facility and continuing to support the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) in delivering world-class research, development and extension programs that assist the Tasmanian dairy industry.
The contribution is part of the Tasmanian Government’s co-investment of $5 million with the University of Tasmania towards a $7.7 million upgrade of TIA’s research farms at Elliott and Forthside.
The investment has allowed the facility to convert to a Sustainable, Manageable, Accessible Rural Technologies (SMART) farm, and to begin construction of a new rotary dairy, which I was pleased to launch today with the turning of the sod.
SMARTFarm technologies on display allow farmers to see first-hand how new technologies can help create efficiencies and improve environmental outcomes. The displays also allow farmers, community and researchers to better understand how on-farm modernisation can be adopted to improve management and productivity of cows and pasture, and ultimately profitability.
Dairy is Tasmania’s single highest value agricultural commodity and is continuing to grow. In 2020-21 Tasmania’s dairy industry produced a record 961 million litres of milk, which is up 1.2 per cent from the previous year and the most recent ABS export figures showed the value of dairy products increased by 39.3 per cent compared to the year before.
The TIA Elliott Dairy Research Facility has been the site of important dairy research and development since 1982. Tasmania’s research farms play a crucial role in supporting the Government’s target of sustainably growing the annual farm gate value of Tasmanian agriculture to $10 billion by 2050.
