EVALUATING SUGARCANE R&D PERFORMANCE: EVALUATION OF THREE BREEDING PROGRAMS

Abstract

RESOURCES for sugarcane R&D are scarce, as they are for most agricultural R&D, and investors in R&D want a return on their investment in the form of productivity and profitability gains that arise from the adoption of new technologies. These realities motivate productive and efficient R&D programs that are a key driver of ongoing productivity improvement in sugarcane industries. Sound technical programs deliver ongoing industry benefits sustaining industry profitability and underpinning industry growth. In the context of these R&D programs, strategic and tactical decisions made during the management of R&D projects are vitally important with respect to the outcomes delivered by R&D, and their subsequent uptake by industry. We illustrate these principles using variety performance data from Australia, Brazil and South Africa. Our findings include evidence for rapid uptake of new varieties, significant improvements in yield of cane per hectare and financial benefits delivered to growers adopting these improved cane varieties. Differences existed between the R&D programs in terms of the benefits being delivered to the respective industries that could be directly connected with particular research strategies employed. R&D is an investment, not a cost, but it becomes a cost if benefits are not realised by industry.