MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Hunt
A new report shows research funded by Australia's overseas aid program is helping to save 1,000 billion litres of water a year and has the potential to save Australian farmers a further 2,000 billion litres a year.
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Greg Hunt, said key projects conducted in countries such as China, Pakistan and India are also delivering huge water savings for farmers in Australia.
Releasing the report, More crop per drop, Mr Hunt said the research had helped to save water in the Murray Darling Basin, the Ord River Irrigation Scheme and the Darling Downs and northern NSW.
The water management projects were being funded through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
'Our farmers are now bearing the fruits of joint agricultural research projects involving scientists from Australia and developing country partners,' Mr Hunt said.
'The projects have the potential to save three million Olympic sized swimming pools or enough water to fill six Sydney Harbours every year.'
The four key ACIAR research projects include:
- Growing more rice with less water in the Murrumbidgee and Coleambally Irrigation Areas
- Improving irrigation efficiency in the Ord Irrigation Area, northern Australia
- Sustainable reuse of saline drainage water in the Murray-Darling Basin
- Boosting water efficiency through conservation tillage and controlled-traffic farming on the Darling Downs and in northern New South Wales.
'Our overseas aid for crop research is helping to achieve real water savings in Australia by using less water or getting more production out of the same amount of water, or more crop per drop,' Mr Hunt said.
'Water is of critical importance in agricultural systems around the world and in many places is the productivity limiting factor. Population growth and urbanisation are accelerating water consumption.
'Efficient water use and sustainable management of water resources are two key areas of research undertaken by ACIAR.
'Australia is a world leader in water-resource research. Over the past 25 years, ACIAR has invested in 98 research projects that substantially draw on Australian expertise to improve water productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.'
The report More crop per drop is available at: http://www.aciar.gov.au
Media contacts:
John Deller (Mr Hunt's office) on 0400 496 596
ACIAR (Communications) on 0404 036 892