THE state's citrus industry is set to benefit from a new state-of-the-art facility in the Riverina region.
Unveiled yesterday, the state government's $300,000 Citrus Centre of Excellence opened in Griffith, will be home to the latest technology as well as research to help the industry reach its potential and compete in more markets.
The centre is designed to help citrus and grape growers continue to develop their management techniques and procedures in order to achieve best production practices.
NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the centre, which was first announced in 2019, was world class.
"Griffith is the hub for citrus in NSW, and so there's no better place to host our world-leading research centre to maximise opportunities in this rapidly growing industry," Mr Toole said.
"The revolutionary research conducted by our experts, and demonstrated in this remarkable centre, will ensure citrus is sustainable and profitable in a rapidly changing environment.
"This centre of excellence will also provide an important boost to the local community, providing more employment opportunities and encouraging visitors from around the country to see the facilities firsthand."
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The facility has been given the tick of approval by NSW Farmers, with member and Riverina citrus grower Jo Brighenti Barnard saying the site was a strong show of support for the sector, which has recently been impacted by storms.
"This is great to see after the freak hail storm we had at the start of the year," Ms Brighenti Barnard said.
"Some of our farms suffered huge amounts of damage and will take years to recover.
"It is good to see the NSW Government invest in locally-grown citrus, and support our farmers towards future growth.
"More investment unlocks more opportunities for our farmers to thrive, unlocking more economic returns for the state.
"Hopefully this will improve production practices and industry profitability right across horticulture."
NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders said the site's design had been influenced by local growers, including the Griffith and District Citrus Growers Association.
"NSW boasts a thriving horticulture industry, which, despite the challenges of COVID-19 and natural disasters faced by producers, achieved a gross value of production of more than $2 million in 2020-21 alone," Mr Saunders said.
"This remained largely unchanged from the previous year, which is a monumental achievement in the face of these challenges, and could not have been achieved without the contributions of our thriving citrus industry.
"Not only will this centre nurture and help protect the already-thriving industry, but it will encourage further growth through new research and exciting, state-of-the-art technology."
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Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
