The National Wool Research Development and Extension (RD&E) working group held a two day forum with researchers in Sydney during November to form technical groups to design projects which meet the long-term vision of the Australian wool industry, which is to be a profitable and sustainable Australian Industry producing the world’s best natural fibre.

The technical groups formed under the following themes:

• Adaption of wool production systems;
• Physical quality of the Australian Wool fibre; and
• Animal health and productivity.

The technical groups are currently working on project proposal concepts which will be submitted to the working group for review before the proposals are submitted to funding bodies in early 2012.

The National Wool RD&E Strategy defines the priority objectives for the wool industry in the long-term (next 20 years) and the technologies, products, tools and delivery methods required or desired to achieve those objectives.

The aims of the Strategy are the efficient use of funds and other resources, and improved industry uptake of innovation, based on a national collaborative approach to all agricultural research, development and extension.

Responsibility for implementation of the National Wool RD&E Strategy has been delegated to the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, NSW Department of Primary Industries and AWI partnering with all state primary industry agencies, the CSIRO and the university sector to develop the Strategy document.

Download the National Wool RD&E Strategy in PDF (883Kb)

More information of the RD&E framework can be found here.