The AAGA Strategic plan recognises the opportunities from integration of scientific disciples. The functions described in this application are needed to plan and manage AAGA's RD&E portfolio in concert with our FRDC IPA 2021-2026 to ensure that research continues to provide results that address key priority areas of the industry. Specifically the functions needed to achieve this are:
A: Develop collaborations with R&D agencies to address the goals of AAGA's Strategic Plan:
1. Farm Innovation: Including development and adoption of new technologies such as AI, ICT and robotics. Refinement of techniques and procedures to drive farm efficiencies.
2. Genetics: Establishing a national genetics/breeding program to enhance growth and resilience of stocks linked to nutrition and warming water temperatures due to climate change.
3. Nutrition: Linked to genetics (above) and recognising and developing novel feed sources that may increase growth and resilience (including summer mortality) and improve sustainability.
4. Animal Health and Biosecurity: Including better understanding and mitigation of summer mortality. Integrating health and management practices. Vigilance through active disease/health surveillance. Benchmarking health and productivity.
5. Sustainable Farming: Investigating interactions between water quality, stocking density, growth, yield and husbandry refinements including humane handling practices. Planning adaption to the low carbon economy, improving energy efficiency and progression towards carbon neutrality. Benchmarking socio-economics.
6. Human Capacity: Including improved staff training and links to farm innovations to improve WH&S, staff satisfaction and retention. Providing opportunities for students and researchers.
7. Market Development: Precompetitive generic marketing, participation in trade shows, potential for greater domestic accessibility to our products.
8. Governance: Ensuring AAGA's service capacity to industry via our new constitution (2020) and adequate funding of the AAGA EO for good governance.
B: Ensure rapid dissemination, extension and uptake of the outcomes of R&D to AAGA members.
C: Identify alternative sources of funding that can be accessed through co-investment in additional RD&E projects to achieve greater outcomes for our industry.
