Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
RIRDC · AgriFutures Australia
1990 – present
Statutory research and development corporation that invests in research and development for new and emerging rural industries and for smaller established industries without their own corporation, such as chicken meat, rice, honey bees and pasture seeds, as well as research on national rural issues.
How it came into existence
Established in 1990 directly by section 9 of the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989, succeeding the Australian Special Rural Research Council, which had funded research for smaller rural industries under earlier rural research legislation.
Legislation: Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989 (now the Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989)
Changes during its life
- 2017Adopted the trading name AgriFutures Australia, while keeping its statutory name.
- 2024The Primary Industries Research and Development Regulations 2024 were made under the Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989, replacing earlier regulations applying to the corporation.
Main functions
- Research and development for new and emerging rural industries
- Levy-funded research programs for smaller established industries
- Research on national and cross-sectoral rural issues
- Rural leadership and capacity-building programs
- Communication and adoption of research results
Where it sits
In the portfolio of Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
- Type of body
- Corporate Commonwealth entity
- Portfolio
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Accountable authority
- RIRDC Board – Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989 section 10 with reference to section 73 note (members of the corporation section 16)
- ABN
- 25 203 754 319
Lineage
Loading lineage…
Sources
Primary sources
- List of Commonwealth entities and companies under the PGPA Act, 1 July 2026 (Department of Finance)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 11 December 2014 to the latest release (30 June 2026))
Government records and websites
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.