105 YEARS ON--RELEVANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF BSES

BSES’ STRATEGIC PLAN sets the company’s core business function as delivering realised value to improve grower and miller profitability at a long-term sugar price of $250 per tonne. It will do this by focusing on its Variety Improvement, Farming Systems and Extension/Knowledge Management programs, but these require commitment to funding from all industry sectors. BSES has undertaken a three-stage process to understand industry needs, industry perceptions of the value they gain from BSES activities, and the climate for future industry funding. The first stage saw one-on-one interviews with 25 key industry stakeholders, the second worked with five focus groups each of 12–14 mainly grower participants, and the third sought input from 400 growers through telephone interviews. The surveys showed strong support for BSES and the services it delivers to the Australian sugar industry. BSES is well recognised for its delivery of varieties, but much of the full scope of BSES services is forgotten or unknown until people are prompted with specific examples. In particular, the breadth and depth of ‘crop improvement’ and ‘extension’ activities are not well understood. There is a healthy level of demand for BSES services and strong enthusiasm for continuing association with BSES. Neither growers nor millers wanted to see substantial cuts to the BSES services suite, but with the provisos of prudent cost control and productivity increases. Industry is prepared to increase its contributions, but wants to see value for its investment and clear demonstration of what BSES provides. To improve this, BSES has created three sub-brands, QCanes, QCrops and Sutech Solutions, that will enhance the focus on delivery of outcomes to industry. Coupled with prudent cost control and an increase in service fees, BSES can continue as the principal supplier of RD&E services to an increasingly profitable, productive and sustainable Australian sugar industry.