CSIRO today launched the most powerful tropical agricultural research organisation in the southern hemishere by amalgamating its former Divisions of Tropical Crops and Pastures, and Tropical Animal Production.

Known as CSIRO Tropical Agriculture, the new business unit will improve the delivery of benefits to customers and clients across northern Australia and improve the efficiency with which it conducts the business of research.

Plans for the merger were officially announced on Thursday 5 September 1996 by Dr Malcolm McIntosh, CSIRO Chief Executive.

Dr John Taylor, CSIRO Tropical Agriculture Chief, said the amalgamation took place as part of national restructuring of the CSIRO.

"CSIRO Tropical Agriculture will focus on R&D for the beef, sugar and grains industries in northern Australia, which are heavily export-orientated and dependent on sustaining market access as well as their natural resource base," he said.

"If CSIRO is to serve rural industries and the nation well, we will have to address the issues that influence competitiveness and ecologically sustainable development of northern Australia's rural industries. This includes product quality and efficiency of production, evaluating both the economic and environmental consequences of new technology, management practices and farming systems, and identifing systems for sustainable use of natural resources."

Dr Taylor pointed out that not only did the two former CSIRO Divisions span a range of disciplines, but their work ranged in scale from studies of the genome to the management of catchments and landscapes.

"The amalgamation of the two former Divisions brings together approximately 330 staff with strong skills in researching system components such as plants, animals, soils and climate, and the capacity to deal with subtropical and tropical systems through the formation of multi-disciplinary teams," he said.

More information from: Yance Jones 07-3377 0394 or 07-3214 2703