Today’s announcement of a $570,000 collaborative project to improve grape quality and productivity in vineyards is yet another example of how the Tasmanian Government is backing primary industries to grow jobs and the economy.
With the economy growing and the Budget back on track the Hodgman Liberal Government is supporting growing industries, like our high-value wine sector.
Just a few months ago the Conde Nast Traveller USA nominated Tasmania as the number one region in the world to find the best wines and this was followed up with Tasmania being recognised as No 3 in the Top 10 Cool Climate Wine Regions by Drinks Business UK.
Tasmania’s wine and food is a key motivation for many people to visit Tasmania and our tourism numbers are booming as a result.
So it is with pleasure today, at the Tasmanian wine industry’s conference to announce through our Cultivating Prosperity R&D Collaboration Fund $381,000 of funding to Wine Tasmania in partnership with the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture for a three year project to reduce yield variability between years in wine grapes. Our funding is being matched by $188,000 by the industry and stakeholders.
Wine Tasmania’s strategic vision is to treble wine production from the existing 500,000 cases a year to 1.5 million cases by 2020. The industry is an important part of the Tasmanian Government’s vision to grow the value of agriculture tenfold by 2050.
The wine industry’s growth plans are built on value and quality and is in response to rising demand from the market.
One of the identified obstacles to securing this targeted growth is year-to-year variability of wine grape yield which has been the driver of this collaborative project.
This project aims to better understand the drivers such as pruning regime, fertiliser and irrigation of yield variability and to develop a decision support tool that will assist managers to implement strategies that reduce it.
Supporting our wine industry also supports tourism and jobs and continues to build Brand Tasmania.
More Media Releases from Jeremy Rockliff
More Media Releases from the Minister for Primary Industries and Water