Agriculture
1 December, 2025
Cultural seeds growing world interest, by gum
THE world of modern seed production met with traditional Australian distilling of eucalyptus oil in Inglewood.
More than 80 farmers, researchers and agronomists arrived at the Eucalyptus Distillery Museum after six days in Tasmania attending the 12th International Seed Herbage Conference.
“Everyone at the conference is involved in optimising production of pasture seeds - rye grass, white clover, lucence are three main varieties,” said organiser Suzie Maier of the Tasmanian Seed Industry Group.
Suzie said conference delegates had shared their current research and practices.
“The challenges are similar globally - regulation, environment and increasing yields.
“Although Australia is a smaller producer, the output is rising and productivity increasing.”
Nils Elmegaard, of the Danish Seed Council, said the biennial conference helped producers find common solutions.
“Australia combines production and grazing for a dual-purpose seed while (in Europe) we grow purely for seed,” he said.
Mr Elmegaard said 95 per cent of the Danish production was for the export market.
“We send mainly to Europe with Germany and France among major destinations. Our seed is sent to 80 countries worldwide for use as fodder or turf.
“When we come together for the conference, everyone in the value chain is represented.
“We try to find common solutions.”
Denmark will be host of the 2027 conference.
International Herbage Seed Group started in 1978 following the 28th University of Nottingham Easter School in Agricultural Science
Its aim is “to encourage cooperation and communication between workers actively engaged in herbage seed production research.”
Suzie said the 2025 conference had attracted 170 delegates with half then spending a week touring production facilities in Victoria and southern New South Wales.
The group’s president Richard Chynoweth, of New Zealand, was part of the cultural discovery tour to Inglewood.
Museum volunteers demonstrated the eucalyptus distilling while FGB plantation research and development manager Jane Charles gave a presentation on the eucalyptus oil industry.
Suzie said she had wanted to include a cultural experience in the conference touring itinerary.
““How much more Australian can you get than the Inglewood eucalyptus museum” she said.
Friday group was the biggest to tour the for several years.
Museum committee president Jeff Hooley said there had been a steady increase in tour groups over the last year “and our committee is thrilled”.
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