Perth, Western Australia, will host a national centre of excellence for grains research, it was announced on 24 August.
The Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre is the result of an agreement between the state government and the Grains Research Development Corporation.
“In May last year, the State Government announced it would contribute $30 million to build a world-class export grains facility, and set about finding partners to invest in this exciting project,” said Terry Redman, GRDC chairman.
“Through this agreement the Department of Agriculture and Food and GRDC will each contribute $20m over five years to research and development programmes at the centre.
“Other research organisations, including the CSIRO, have agreed in principle to contribute an additional AU$15m over five years, taking total investment in the project to AU$85m so far,” he added.
The centre will include state-of-the-art laboratories, automated and air-conditioned glasshouses, controlled environment plant growth rooms and irrigated field plots.
It will act as a research and business thinktank, with programmes in economic analysis, strategic market intelligence, grain quality, biosecurity and grain processing technology.
Research and development at the centre is due to start next year.