Primary industry development

¹ The decrease reflects the finalisation of time-limited project funding.

Promote and facilitate the development of primary industries and resources

• Represented the NT in international trade and market activities through joint industry and government delegations to China (Shenzhen), Vietnam and Indonesia.
• Supported the NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics development of the Katherine Logistics and Agribusiness Hub through facilitating industry expansion and diversification.
• Supported the development of new agricultural land opportunities.
• Provided plant production suitability information to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mapping the Future program, which will help underpin regional development.
• Implemented an annual plan for field days on research and commercial farms, which included demonstrating farming opportunities with industry through highly successful field days held at Katherine Research Station (280 attendees) and Douglas Daly Research Farm (120 attendees), and the BeefUp Forum, co‑hosted with Meat and Livestock Australia at Victoria River Research Station (over 100 attendees).
• Demonstrated expanded production systems options for the NT, including establishing new cotton research and broadacre production systems at Katherine Research Station.
• Diversified investment opportunities (pastures and cropping systems) were also shown on pastoral leases.
• Commenced research projects focused on:
  • developing best practice in the mango industry (in partnership with NT Farmers Association,
    NT Mango Industry Association and Australian Mango Industry Association) reducing calf mortality in the Barkly region
  • using new technology to remotely monitor calving (in collaboration with researchers from the University of Florida)
  • improving the productivity of beef cattle managed under integrated palm-cattle systems in Indonesia (project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and managed by the University of New England).
• Secured external project funding for four new plant research and development projects in collaboration with Hort Innovation, Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
• Secured external project funding for eight new livestock research and development trials in collaboration with Meat and Livestock Australia, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland, University of New England and University of Southern Queensland, including the Paddock Power project, which aims to assist cattle producers
  to increase reproductive productivity through evidence-based paddock design.
Supported Aboriginal-led economic development, including assisting and developing Aboriginal pastoral projects and forestry.
• Provided industry training for pastoral managers and staff in grazing land management through delivery
  of the grazing fundamentals EDGE workshops.
• Produced five editions of the NT Pastoral Feed Outlook for the pastoral industry, including a special issue in January in anticipation of low feed availability (due to the poor wet season) and to support industry in responding to dry conditions.
• Provided drought management advice to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Drought Taskforce), National Farmers Federation and the NT Government.
• Continued to facilitate the delivery of Rural Financial Counselling Services in the NT, with agreement to extend the program to 30 June 2020.
• Contributed primary industry sector information to the annual review of the NT 10‑year infrastructure plan to reflect industry priorities and support expansion opportunities.

Use regulation of our industries and resources as a foundation for appropriate economic development

• Developed legislation to regulate the growth and processing of industrial hemp.