A new Centre for Horticultural Science will be launched at UQ next year.
A new Centre for Horticultural Science will be launched at The University of Queensland in 2018 to respond to the demand for plant-based foods, vegetables, fruit and nuts that improve human health. UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said the centre would build on the ability of UQ's world-class horticultural researchers to position Australia to compete in the rapidly evolving global fresh fruit and vegetable trade. He said horticulture was one of the largest and most diverse industries in Australian agriculture, accounting for about 18 per cent of its total value. "Vegetables, fruit and nuts are key to our nutritional and physical wellbeing and we know there is great potential for science to boost the yields and nutritional content of horticultural foods even further," Professor Høj said. "We've seen from the rising global demand for avocados that there is increasing consumer awareness of the importance of horticulture to health and that science can sustainably increase supply to meet that demand. "In partnership with growers and industry collaborators, this new Centre for Horticultural Science will help grow the future of horticulture in Australia as a key domestic and premium export market." The new centre will be led by agricultural biotechnologist Professor Neena Mitter. Professor Mitter said there were many opportunities to grow horticulture through on-farm management systems and the high-tech approaches of big data, genomics and biotechnology.
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