DESPITE State Government cutting its funding at the end of this financial year, the Advisory Board of Agriculture and its associated bureaus are determined to survive.
Chairman of the ABA and president of the Agricultural Bureau of South Australia Richard Murdoch says neither organisation is prepared to throw in the towel.
The board is only receiving half of its usual $185,000 a year from the government because of cuts announced in the 2010 budget.
"The funding cuts didn't put the ABA in limbo, but it did put some pressure on it," Mr Murdoch said.
"The ABA has responded with more volunteer effort to help counter that and has certainly been looking at how it might move itself forward.
"It's been an attitude of endeavouring to provide information to our members and service them while continuing to support agriculture as an industry in the State."
Mr Murdoch said the bureau had taken on the role of developing a business case, which was presented to the government's Agribusiness Council last week.
He said the bureau believed the case was very important for the agricultural industry.
"We're hoping it will be a plan that is adopted by South Australians in the sense (that) agriculture is part of the community, which benefits greatly from it," Mr Murdoch said.
"For example, there are about 135,000 jobs that have been identified to benefit from agriculture outside of the industry."
Recently, the bureau has received funding from Caring for our Country for three projects including:
*20:20 Challenge: Increasing soil organic carbon of sandy soils, worth $318,000.
*Reducing the risk of soil acidification in the Northern and Yorke region of SA, $215,000
*Improving soil carbon levels and decreasing erosion in 3 NRM regions in SA, $163,000.
The bureau had also received $30,000 in funding for a State NRM project Soil health in the west: balanced, innovative, sustainable, based at Streaky Bay.
Mr Murdoch said even though funding from the government would be withdrawn, the general consensus was that ABA and the bureau were highly regarded and that people wanted them to continue.
Mr Murdoch said the bureau had 1400 members - a "sound" number, despite natural decline.
"When there are realistic issues, it is not hard to get farmers together," he said.
Immediate past member of the ABA Phil Wheaton, Streaky Bay, described the decision to cut the ABA's funding as "short-sighted" and a "knee-jerk" reaction.
"My first thought was how could anyone make a decision like that without looking at the benefits of what was on offer and what could be given back in return for the money?'" he said.
"The amount of money the ABA was given is equivalent to a full-time PIRSA employee on their payroll with a car, wages and office - the equivalent to one PIRSA employee on the road.
"The ABA has 63 branches with 14 board members and we could do that job a lot more efficiently than that one PIRSA employee on the ground."
Mr Wheaton said he was confident both organisations would survive.
"It all depends on the make-up of the board and what information they're bringing forward, but it can only be used for the people who want to listen," he said.
"I commend the people who have been on the board and the people on the board - especially now - for trying to find a way through all these issues, particularly (with) the hostile government that doesn't want to listen."
*Full report in Stock Journal, February 9 issue, 2012.
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