NSW DPI welcomes $15 million for wine research
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The State’s wine and grape industries received an injection of $15 million into research and development programs following the announcement of the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre Winegrowing Futures Initiative.
The Winegrowing Futures Initiative will help bolster the $2 billion NSW wine industry’s productivity and profitability.
Winegrowing Futures Initiative is a partnership between National Wine and Grape Industry Centre at Wagga and the Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation.
The $15 million is funded by levies collected by the Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation nationally including NSW wine makers and grape growers for investment into the industry’s future.
The National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, a partnership between Charles Sturt University, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Wine Industry Association, employs 40 staff in research, education, training and extension.
It is expected another 20-25 staff will be employed as a result of this funding which will be distributed to the centre across the next five years.
Research staff will be based at key wine growing regions across NSW including Dareton, Griffith, Cowra, Mudgee and the Hunter Valley and will work with research leaders at the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre at Wagga Wagga.
National Wine and Grape Industry Centre is conducting a broad range of work that aims to improve the competitiveness and profitability of the national wine industry.
The Grape and Wine Research Development Corporation has recognised work at the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre is focussing on improving and tailoring wine quality to meet consumer demand, improving the environmental sustainability of the industry.
Funds from the Winegrowing Futures Initiative will be spent in areas of vine health, seasonal impacts on yield and quality, vineyard sustainability and matching wine to consumer expectations.
The NSW wine industry has tripled in size over the last decade and now includes about 40,000 hectares of vines making it a priority area for industry investment.
The NSW wine industry accounts for more than 30 per cent of the total export and domestic market, generating more than $440 million in exports and supporting 20,000 local jobs.
Media contact: Brett Fifield on 0427 029 511.