Australia's Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), one of the world's leading investors in grains research, development, and extension (RD&E) launched its Five Year Strategic Plan for 2012-2017 during the Australian Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne. GRDC Managing Director John Harvey presented the Plan which focus on the following research areas:

• Meeting Market Requirements;
• Improving Crop Yield;
• Crop Protection;
• Profitable Farming Systems;
• Maintaining the Farm Resource Base; and
• Building Skills and Capacity.

Senator Joe Ludwig, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, who opened the Conference , welcomed the GRDC's strategic research and development plan. He was pleased with the final Plan and added that "Over the term of this plan, the Australian Government and growers, through the GRDC, will invest over three quarters of a billion dollars in RD&E to benefit the growers and the broader grains industry."

See the news at http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/grdc-releases-five-year-strategic-plan/2616956.aspx?src=rss. The whole document is downloadable at http://strategicplan2012.grdc.com.au/pdf/GRDC_strategic_plan_2012-17.pdf.