Farm technology adoption driven by profit and regulation: Farrer Medallist

The key drivers in agricultural technology adoption are profit and government regulation, the 2004 Farrer Medal recipient, Dr Bob Clements, said when delivering the Farrer Medal Oration this week.

Dr Clements delivered his oration at the University of Queensland on Monday after receiving the prestigious medal from NSW Department of Primary Industries Director-General and Chairman, Farrer Memorial Trust, Barry Buffier.

Dr Clements, a distinguished agricultural scientist and academic, examined several recent examples of dramatic change in the adoption of new technology in agriculture.

"There has been a rapid adoption of information technology by people everywhere, including farmers," Dr Clements said.

"More than half Australia's farmers and almost 80 per cent of farmers with an estimated value of agricultural operations of $1 million or more now have internet access."

Dr Clements said the adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops was continuing despite some strong resistance.

"The adoption of GM crops by farmers in some countries, and for some crops, is remarkable," he said.

"Within a ten year period to 2004, the area of GM crops grew from virtually zero to 80 million hectares - 5 per cent of the world's sown area of crops.

"With a cumulative benefit of USD 27 billion, the key driver was probably farm profit."

Dr Clements said adoption of tropical forage legume technology had been steady, although relatively slow.

"After 50 years of research and promotion, by 2005 about 5 million hectares had been sown to these legumes worldwide," he said.

"A key factor in their adoption was their deployment in profitable farming systems.

"Other critical factors were the determined and long term commitment of researchers and governments, and the creation and maintenance of critical partnerships."

Dr Clements said the introduction of new technology to the Australian beef cattle industry, and government regulations leading to the eradication of bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, had been crucial to the rapid development of the beef industry during the second half of the twentieth century.

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