Rethinking forages: Dairy Australia invites global collaboration on national R&D priorities

Australia’s dairy industry is taking a bold new approach to forage research. Backed by Dairy Moving Forward (DMF), the new National Dairy Forages R&D Strategy outlines a five-year vision to foster high-impact, nationally coordinated investments.

Now, Dairy Australia is calling on local and international researchers, agtech startups, and industry innovators to help co-design the next wave of forage solutions. Submissions close Thursday, 4th September, 5pm AEST.

“Our investment approach is shifting from partner-based to outcome-focused – and that means building truly collaborative, national-scale research that delivers for farmers,” says Jay Mody, Head of Research Investments at Dairy Australia.

– View the opportunity here, via growag.com.

What is Dairy Moving Forward?
Dairy Moving Forward (DMF) is a long-standing collaboration between Dairy Australia, the Australian Dairy Farmers, Gardiner Foundation, and five state governments. While not a legal entity, the group plays a pivotal role in setting strategic R&D priorities for the industry and aligning cross-sector investment.

The new National Dairy Forages R&D Strategy was developed under DMF’s guidance and now enters its implementation phase, led by Dairy Australia. With four major forage investments set to conclude by FY26, the strategy provides a timely opportunity to reshape national investment across six priority areas.

Six priorities, one clear goal: impact for farmers
The Strategy outlines six key priorities — from breeding to soil-plant microbiomes. Priority 1 (National Breeding Objectives) and part of Priority 5 are being managed directly by Dairy Australia.

“Australia has the most diverse range of dairy production systems globally, which means our forage systems are equally complex,” says Dr John Penry, Dairy Australia’s Principal Scientist.

“This strategy provides a 20- to 30-year roadmap for R&D, developed through deep consultation and rigorous review.”

International collaboration is strongly encouraged, particularly in areas such as low-emissions forages.

“There’s huge opportunity to work with countries like New Zealand, Ireland, and parts of South America — particularly around low-emissions forage systems and improved digestibility,” says John.

He also identifies critical capability gaps ripe for innovation — notably remote sensing for pasture quality, and tools to measure genetic gains in forage breeding.

Building collaborative pipelines: A co-design approach
Rather than traditional funding rounds, Dairy Australia is running a structured co-design process from now through to November.

Two targeted webinars have already been held — one for research institutions, the other for the agtech sector — with submissions due by Thursday, 4^th September. Proposals will be reviewed by a six-person expert panel covering pasture and crop agronomy, investment, animal nutrition, and practical farming.

Successful applicants will enter co-design workshops from September to November, supported by visibility over others’ capabilities to encourage partnership formation.

“It’s a rare opportunity — when you submit, you’ll also get access to a directory of who else is involved. That kind of visibility helps people connect and build stronger, more aligned projects,” Jay explains.

A call to agritech: Innovation must meet science
For the first time, agritech solutions have been explicitly invited into a national strategy of this scale.

Emily Samyue, Dairy Australia’s Head of Innovation, sees this as a major step forward.

“We’ve invested in agtech over the last three years, but this is the first time we’re embedding it into a core R&D strategy. There’s a real appetite for innovations that lift productivity, profitability, and sustainability — no matter where they come from,” Emily says.

Startups are encouraged to engage, especially in Priority 3: NextGen technology and management tools, but need to meet three criteria:

• Technologies should have early validation or field trials
• Founders must be open to co-design and feedback
• A strong understanding of dairy industry needs is essential

“It’s about partnering with researchers to prove out the science behind your tech — not just pitching a product,” says Emily. “This is about impact, not marketing.”

Dairy Australia will offer in-kind and financial support, and can facilitate access to research farms and commercial players to help de-risk collaborations and support market entry.

Why now — and why you?
With $15 million in public and levy funding allocated annually to forages research (with another $25 million from private investment seed companies), the opportunity for real-world impact is significant.

“We’re not looking for 100 siloed projects,” says Jay. “We want consolidated, high-impact proposals that address our national priorities and deliver value for Australian farmers.”

Emily echoes this focus on impact, particularly for agritech applicants. “We’re really looking for that overlap between innovation and science,” she says. “It’s not just about a good idea — it’s about how it can be validated, scaled, and make a measurable difference for dairy farmers.”

International and cross-sector collaboration is not only welcomed — it’s essential. This is a call to those with novel solutions, strong science, and a mindset for partnership.

Get involved
Applications are open now. Submissions close Thursday, 4th September, 5pm AEST, with co-design workshops to follow. Learn more here.