Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has released a comprehensive report on its performance for the 2016/17 financial year, with this publication explaining how SRA has delivered return on investment for its industry and government investors.
In releasing the new 2016/17 Performance Report, SRA CEO Mr Neil Fisher said that SRA was committed to keeping all investors, research partners, collaborators and other stakeholders informed regarding the value that is provided by SRA.
“Our annual Performance Report details the achievements of SRA and how they align to our Annual Operational Plans and our five-year Strategic Plan,” Mr Fisher said. “We continue to enhance this annual publication with more robust, quantifiable and meaningful data that articulates how SRA is creating impacts and outcomes for sugarcane growers and millers.”
For example, the Performance Report outlines that in the last year the harvesters of 14 sugarcane harvesting groups have been optimised in line with SRA’s harvesting best practice recommendations, increasing shared industry value through reduced sugar loss.
Another example from 2016/17 includes the SRA diagnostics laboratories analysing over 1000 pachymetra, 150 nematode, and 20,000 ratoon stunting disease samples to support industry pest and disease management and limit these diseases’ impact on profitability.
SRA is also delivering sustainability outcomes through innovative research and adoption projects that are creating water quality outcomes through improved nutrient management and nutrient efficiency.
This includes innovative research such as the incorporation of climate forecasting into decision tools to improve tactical on-farm application of nutrients and to reduce nutrient losses.
“Our Performance Report aligns with the conclusion of our first Strategic Plan, and we look forward to continuing to report on our outcomes and impacts against our new Strategic Plan for 2017/18 to 2021/22.”
SRA is the industry-owned company for research, development and adoption for the Australian sugarcane industry.
“SRA has listened to our investors and their need for us to demonstrate how we are providing value,” Mr Fisher said. “Our new Strategic Plan has set this out with the four goals of: driving profitability; improving sustainability; enhancing capability; and strengthening organisational excellence.
“The bottom line is that our grower and miller investors want more dollars in their back pocket.
“Our Performance Report is one tool we use to communicate how SRA is delivering for our investors against these overarching goals.”