Well-known farmer, researcher Kelly Pearce named first director of new WA Agricultural Research Collaboration

A Wheatbelt farmer, researcher and director with more than 20 years of practical, academic, industry and board experience says “it’s game on” after being named the inaugural director of the WA Agricultural Research Collaboration. Dr Kelly Pearce, who farms sheep and grain at Yealering in the Wheatbelt, will lead the group launched last July to bring a “team WA” approach to research and development across WA’s burgeoning agriculture sector. She was announced as the full-time director of WAARC at the Grower Group Alliance Forum 2023 at the Joondalup Resort on Friday, July 28, by State Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis. Ms Jarvis said the collaboration was funded to the amount of $25 million across three years, and funding would also be sourced from “cash and in kind support from members”. WAARC has been touted as a way to bolster the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s research and development capacity, with a focus on “innovation”, and has been designed to bring a unified vision to the State’s agricultural research quality, capacity, careers and collaborations for generations to come. Seven groups have signed up to the group, including the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, CSIRO, the Grower Group Alliance, and WA’s four universities — Curtin, Edith Cowan, Murdoch and The University of Western Australia. Speaking at the GGA’s Forum 2023 this month, Dr Pearce said the concept of a collaborative approach had been “talked about for more than 20 years”. “The fact that it is now on paper is very exciting — It’s game on, to be honest,” she said. “I see huge opportunities for grower groups with this collaboration — to continue to grow, to thrive, to empower and to continue to deliver impactful projects with collaboration partners. “It’s about mature research partnership, with long term bigger projects on a national scale.” She said WAARC would help rebuild “the very decimated R&D sector in WA” and its projects would include “industry linkage”, as well as post graduate and Phd students to support R&D building. DPIRD deputy director general Cec McConnell represents the State Government organisation on the WAARC’s steering committee and said Dr Pearce’s appointment was a “major step”. “The collaboration steering committee agreed the director would need to be a qualified researcher with a broad skill set and leadership experience,” she said. “Dr Pearce will bring a cross-section of experience, knowledge and skills to the role for the benefit of agricultural research, development and extension in WA.” Dr Pearce said she hoped to create visionary research partnerships that attracted and delivered high quality agricultural science and innovation on an international scale. “The Collaboration provides an exciting opportunity to align the strong skills and knowledge within WA universities with those at industry and grassroots level, to co-design and deliver programs that accelerate agriculture in this State,” she said. “Throughout my career I have actively sought work across various research and development areas, particularly in the mixed farming sector from on-farm to plate.” Well-known across WA, Dr Pearce’s prior positions include serving as the Facey Group chief executive, Grower Group Alliance member director, WA Meat Industry Authority board member, Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee member and Biosecurity Council of WA Advisory Committee member. She is a Nuffield Scholar, an Australian Institute of Company Directors director and Australian Farm Institute research fellow. The Collaboration is working with industry to build programs focused on six themes: Northern Agriculture, Grains Transformation, Climate Resilience, Agricultural Technologies, Aboriginal Participation and Capacity Building and Extension. The first project, Cropping Enabled Cattle, began under the Northern Agriculture program in May. The three-year project will explore the potential for Ord irrigated agriculture to support cattle-feeding systems in the State’s north.