What was it all about?

This investment developed a strategy to guide future investment in protected cropping research, development and extension. By identifying and prioritising opportunities for the industry in consultation with key stakeholders, the strategy developed by this project provides the protected cropping industry with the roadmap to drive growth in the future.

Protected cropping production systems combine a range of technologies to effectively address climate variability challenges, crop biological constraints and market opportunities in the Australian horticulture industry. Achieving growth will require coordination and identification of strategic RD&E investment priorities that have the potential to substantially benefit industry in the longer term.

The Strategy is based on extensive consultation with industry stakeholders, as well as an analysis of global trends in the use of protected cropping within horticulture: 47 groups/organisations and over 100 individuals were engaged as part of its development, including state and territory agricultural departments, industry associations, universities and educational centres, growers, producer and marketer groups, consultants, and input and service suppliers.

While the consultation confirmed several challenges and barriers to future growth that the sector is currently experiencing, there was also consensus about the opportunities to harness protected cropping to drive industry growth in the horticulture sector. The information was used to identify protected cropping RD&E outcomes and strategies, which were road-tested and refined with industry stakeholders throughout the first half of 2021.

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Access the strategy on the Protected Cropping Australia’s website here.