Arenas

Priorities

Key Performance Indicator

Measure Units

Target

Achieved KPI

Results 2019-20

Notes

People and Leadership

Attracting capable people into careers in agriculture

Annual intakes of students into agriculture and agricultural science courses at Australian universities

Australian Council of Deans Agriculture annual survey

1,800 per annum

N/A

No survey statistics available for 2019-20

1,382 (including agriculture and related courses) in 2018

Data is only available for the 2018-19 period because it is still being collated for 2019-20. Intakes are new first year students.

Since 2016 there has been a steady increase in the number of undergraduates completing agriculture or agriculture-related courses but since that time it has levelled off.

Enrolments (which refers to all students in the courses from first to final year) has remained steady between 2016-2018, at more than 4,000 students.

Building the capability of future rural leaders

80% of our stakeholders feel their confidence as a leader has increased significantly or very significantly as a result of participation in an AgriFutures Australia People and Leadership program

Annual Stakeholder Survey

80%

√

84%

  The feedback from stakeholders clearly suggests that the leadership programs has increased the confidence of participants as leaders.

  Almost one in three reported the program “had very significantly” increased their confidence as a leader.

  The results indicate a positive endorsement of the programs in instilling confidence into participants.

Grow the AgriFutures Ignite Network to 1,500 members with a minimum of 70% participating as “active members”.

1,500

√

2,122 members

The Ignite Network Facebook group continues to grow with 1,486 “active members” (70%) from a total of 2,122 members. Of the group’s members, 60.8% are female and 39.2% are male. Of the 2,122 members, 263 live in Sydney, 242 live in Melbourne and 176 live in Adelaide (representing the group’s top three cities). The majority of members are Australian, however there are overseas members representing New Zealand, India and the United Kingdom.

Deliver one major capacity building program for AgriFutures Ignite Networking members.

1 event

√

Not achieved due to COVID-19

25 candidates have been accepted into the 2020 Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Capacity Building Program. Due to the situation around COVID-19 and the social distancing protocols put in place, this was due to be held in May 2020. This event is now being held online in November 2020.

More than 80 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award Alumni participants are confirmed within the second year of the Alumni Program starting and establishing an AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Alumni Advisory Panel.

80

√

More than 140 members

Continued the promotion of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Alumni Program which has more than 300 members; facilitated networking events and established the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Alumni Advisory Panel. The AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Advisory Panel (with five women) was announced on Tuesday, 11 September 2019 at the Alumni Lunch at Hotel Kurrajong, Canberra.

80% of AgriFutures Horizon Scholars secure employment in our rural industries or a related sector within six months of graduating.

Survey of participants

80%

√

83%

Supported Horizon Scholars through industry placements, conducted industry-building workshops and facilitated industry networking opportunities.

Arenas

Priorities

Key Performance

Indicator

Measure

Units

Target

Achieved

KPI

Results 2019-20

Notes

National

Challenges

And

Opportunities

Informing debate on issues of importance to rural industries

Inform debates of national significance to rural industries through research studies

Number of significant National Rural Issues (NRI) studies published each year

5

√

8

Eight of these projects were developed under the Emerging NRI Forum. The themes of this work were: international agricultural trade subsidies, provenance and storytelling, alternative protein production, land use planning, sectoral planning for a $100bn sector by 2030, integrating NRM and industry-led sustainability, improved carbon markets, and community trust.

Adapting new technologies for use across rural industries

Develop agrifood technology innovation that will identify, test and commercialise ideas and technologies of researchers and entrepreneurs for use in Australian rural industries

Number of new technologies entering commercialisation phase with private sector participation

1 per annum

√

4

Supported commercialisation of Hive Haven and Q Camel through the Farmers2Founders program. Also supported a new biocontrol agent for weeds and seasonal prediction models for climate variability through two Research and Development for Profit Projects.

Facilitate one international agricultural technology event to lift the prosperity of Australian agrifood industries that engages people and business to share ideas and connect

1

√

Delivered evokeAG. 2020

evokeAG. was held 18-19 February 2020 and was attended by more than 1478 Australian and international delegates.

Working collaboratively on issues common across rural industries

Deliver ten collaborative rural research projects that deal with issues of national significance that positively affect more than one sector of agriculture

Number of collaborative initiatives involving other RDCs

10 per annum

√

15

AgriFutures Australia led six, including two new Rural RD&E for Profit programs, and participated in nine cross-industry collaborations.

Arenas

Priorities

Key Performance Indicator

Measure Units

Target

Achieved KPI

Results 2019-20

Notes

Growing Profitability

Engaging industry participants in determining RD&E priorities

Percentage of growers comfortable or very comfortable paying the R&D levy

Annual Stakeholder Survey

80%

N/A

N/A

98% of levy payers believe it is important or very important for Australian Agriculture to have an organisation like AgriFutures Australia.

71% of levy payers reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied that their R&D levy was being invested to achieve the outcomes they expected.

Investing in innovation that assists levied industries to be more profitable

85% of KPIs outlined in program specific RD&E five year plans are met

Percentage of KPIs met in each industry program RD&E plan

85%

√

97%

334 of 344 planned project milestones satisfactorily met objectives (97%).

Delivering outcomes to maximise industry uptake and adoption

Stakeholders rate the value of AgriFutures Australia’s information, products and services as high or very high

Annual Stakeholder Survey

75%

√

79%

79% Levy payers rate the value of AgriFutures Australia’s Information products and services as good or excellent.

67% of levy payers agree or strongly agree that AgriFutures Australia encourages them to innovate.

52% of levy payers agree or strongly agree that AgriFutures Australia has encouraged translating R&D to on farm practices.

52% of levy payers agree or strongly agree that AgriFutures Australia has increased the capability/skills of people within my industry.

Stakeholders are comfortable or very comfortable with level of engagement between AgriFutures Australia and the industry

Annual Stakeholder Survey

Host one annual Levied Industry Advisory Panel Chairs meeting

Host one a key stakeholder forum

80%

1

1

N/A

√

√

N/A

2

1

71% of levy payers reported an involvement in at least one AgriFutures Australia sponsored engagement event, workshop or training, or field day, or evokeAG, etc.

Hosted two Advisory Panel Chairs events: 1 x meeting at Summit July 2019, 1 x participation in the 2020 Levied Industries forum (June 2020).

20 Levy payers joined 23 Advisory Panel Chairs, Deputy Chairs, and AgriFutures Australia Board members to discuss how AgriFutures Australia engages with, and meets the needs of, the levied industries, in an online Forum (June 2020).

Final deliverables from research projects are reviewed, approved and submitted for publication within one month of the final deliverable being submitted

As recorded in the Research Management System

No target set

1

81%

42 of 54 (81%) final deliverables were reviewed, approved, and submitted for publication within one month of being submitted.

Research program R&D expenditure is managed within 10% of the annual budget

As reflected in the financial statements

Within 10%

√

2%

This was achieved with the R&D expenditure across the 13-levied industry investment program managed within 2% of the PBS budget.

Arenas

Priorities

Key Performance Indicator

Measure Units

Target

Achieved KPI

Results 2019-20

Notes

Emerging Industries

Supporting the early stage establishment of high potential rural industries

Generate enhanced economic benefit by investing in R&D to support five new rural industries with high growth potential to exceed $10m per annum (GVP)

Number per annum

One new rural industry

√

Hemp (approximately $10 million based on area of planting)

In 2019-20 the area cultivated for Hemp was 2,500 Ha nationally (an increase from 111 Ha nationally in 2012).

In previous years AgriFutures Australia has achieved the following:

  2018-19: Hazelnuts (approximately 10 million to $12 million based on area of planting).

  2017-18: Black truffles (approximately $11 million based on rolling three-year average).

  Other Emerging Industries supported by AgriFutures Australia that have already reached or exceeded the $10m per annum threshold include crocodiles, dairy goats and gamebirds/quail.

  24 industries have been identified with the potential to reach $10m per annum threshold by 2022 (Coriolis Report).

Facilitate and support at least one industry capacity building activity to establish or advance emerging industries

1

√

Commenced growing the Australian Native Ag+Food sector, an investment to explore technology and capability gaps in targeted native ag+food value chains that are likely to be inhibiting commercial growth in the sector and to pilot interventions

Design and deliver a Native Ag+Food Tech Challenge to source technology solutions from both mature technology developers and startups that have developed solutions.