Breeding a psyllid-resistant Leucaena hybrid for northern Australia - Phase 2

Summary

Across the broadacre agricultural industries (red meat, wool and grains) data on financial and physical performance are currently collected and analysed by a range of organisations in the not-for-profit and commercial sectors. These data sets are; collected using different protocols, have varying geographic coverage, varying enterprise and business data coverage, stored using varying software packages, and analysed using different methodologies.
The National Monitoring Network (NMN) Scoping Study aimed to
1) Identify the potential industry stakeholders who could contribute to, and benefit from, the development of an NMN.
2) Consult with relevant stakeholders to explain the NMN concept and seek their input to the business case and/or potential support for the NMN initiative.
3) Scope stakeholder interest in being involved in an NMN and propose a mechanism and structure to efficiently and consistently collect data and make it available to collaborators for analysis and interpretation. ​
4) Develop a Business Case to present to potential investors that provides the value proposition for investors, data contributors and individual producers submitting data to NMN.
This Scoping Study involved a literature review, project analysis (current and previous), preparation of discussion papers and detailed consultation with some 26 organisations currently collecting data from 2,200 broadacre farms across Australia.
This data collection is in addition to the 1,638 participants in the Australian Agricultural Grazing Industries Survey (AAGIS) undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE). The consultation phase found that 22 of the organisations consulted were supportive of the development of an NMN and identified with the value proposition associated with; the collection and analysis of data using a consistent protocol and methodology having access to a larger and more comprehensive data set with which to benchmark their clients and provide strategic business advice the value to industry of a consistent and comprehensive data set for setting research and development priorities, undertaking evaluation and research and informing policy formation.
Whilst supportive of the concept of NMN, there was a significant level of concern about the reality of implementing an NMN which would have industry support and be sustainable in the long term. Some of the difficulties identified included; reaching consensus on a data collection protocol and analysis methodology, recognition of the substantial prior investment by consultancy firms in systems to collect and analyse data, ensuring that an NMN enhanced existing private sector consulting services and did not compete with them, convincing producers to authorise the submission of their data to an NMN, ensuring best practice in data base management, analysis and protecting client privacy, sustaining long term industry support and funding for the initiative. This Business Case takes the generally high level of support for the concept of an NMN and presents a model for implementation that addresses the concerns identified during the consultation phase.
The Business Case proposes a Pilot Phase for NMN in which:
1) The NMN governance and management structures are established.
2) The database is established and tested in a limited number of regions. ​
3) A validation project is undertaken with ABARE and AAGIS to identify the potential to increase the level of enterprise level reporting from the survey and validate/compare the output generated by AAGIS and NMN. Subject to a successful two year Pilot Phase, full implementation of an NMN should be considered by the investors.