Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) is starting engagement to shape the next phase of research, development and extension (RD&E) investment aimed at tackling long-term challenges and unlocking breakthrough opportunities for Australia’s grain industry.
The engagement follows the completion of an expert, independent review to determine the ‘right-size’ RD&E investment to continue the progress driven by grain growers alongside GRDC.
The comprehensive review was instigated by GRDC in September 2024 and focused on levy revenue modelling, an RD&E capacity and ability assessment, and implications of changes to GRDC’s RD&E investment levels.
GRDC chairperson and South Australian primary producer Sharon Starick said the organisation and the broader Australian grains industry continued to be the beneficiaries of productivity growth, strong seasons and commodity prices and this was the driving motivator for the ‘right-size’ review.
“GRDC is in an extremely favourable financial position. After a number of outstanding seasons coupled with strong prices, GRDC now has strong cash reserves of $680 million,” she said.
“This extraordinary position was without question made possible by growers, whose readiness to adopt practice changes and embrace innovative technologies demonstrates the immense value of RD&E to the productivity and profitability of Australian farming enterprises. Independent analysis shows that for every dollar GRDC invests, growers receive a $6-9 return on investment.
“Critically the ‘right-size’ review, which was completed on schedule in June, provides strong direction on how GRDC’s reserves may be strategically invested aligned to GRDC’s remit and purpose to ensure RD&E investment continues to drive growth and success for the grains sector.”
Mrs Starick said GRDC would begin industry consultation later this month by liaising with growers’ representative organisations, GrainGrowers Limited and Grain Producers Australia, before going out more broadly to growers over the next three months.
She said industry consultation would build on the extensive work already undertaken by GRDC to inform the current RD&E Plan 2023-28, as well as the substantive investment areas and priorities already identified by grain growers.
“GRDC has just released our Annual Operational Plan 2025-26 (AOP) which highlights the focus areas for RD&E investment for the next year and reflects our future-focused approach. If you want to understand where we are investing, the AOP provides an overview of our extensive portfolio of RD&E projects and signals the priority areas for new investment,” she said.
“We have already increased our annual RD&E investment from $180m to just over $240m per year over the past three years to meet the rising cost of delivering high-quality research. Like farm inputs, research costs have continued to increase. Our RD&E investment is indexed to maintain investment in real terms and will increase to $275m or more over the next four years.
“Importantly, as part of our RD&E Plan 2023-28 we also have more than $525m in forward commitments. These research investments have been shaped by grower priorities, including direct input from our regional panels, and focus on delivering practical, on-farm impact.”
Mrs Starick said, as part of the ‘right-size’ review consultation, GRDC will ask grain growers and industry for their input into opportunities to identify what is next when it comes to strategic, transformational research.
She added it was important GRDC continued to fill the front-end of the R&D pipeline, investing in new science and building the next generation of talent.
“GRDC reserves are a result of the shared success of the grains industry and GRDC RD&E,” she said.
“By working in partnership with growers and building on what we have achieved together, we can utilise the reserves to enable greater investment in RD&E that is innovative, transformational and delivering productivity and profitability for growers today and into the future.”
The 2025 GRDC Grower Survey also found strong industry support for the organisation with 85 per cent of growers rating GRDC’s investment role highly; 84 per cent saying they had directly benefited from RD&E; and 72 per cent crediting GRDC for contributing to that benefit.
GRDC said it would share more information about the review findings and recommendations with the industry as part of a broader consultation process.
Details about consultation opportunities will be released shortly.
The AOP can be accessed at grdc.com.au/about/who-we-are/corporate-governance/corporate-planning
