THE Australian wool industry's leadership has a long history of conflict and division.

But now that conflict threatens far more than the future of Australian wool and its growers.

Australian Wool Innovation's ongoing antics have attracted the ire of Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke, who seems to be looking for any excuse to cut funding to Research and Development  corporations.

In announcing a review of all RDCs in December last year, Mr Burke highlighted AWI's failings and his concerns at the board's agri-political activities.

At the time Mr Burke said:"Resources that are principally meant to be there for a research and development body are being used to fight campaigns with a whole series of mandates attached to the back of them. I can't see that we're providing the best possible value for levy-payers."

Mr Burke went on to announce a productivity review of all 15 RDCs to ensure tax and levy payers were getting value for money.

Some may argue AWI needs a shakeup.

But the real risk is AWI's failings have given the minister, and now the economic rationalists at the Productivity Commission, the excuse they need to recommend radical surgery to far more efficient and effective RDCs, such as the Grain Research and Development Council, Dairy Australia and others.

RDCs has been operating successfully for more than 20 years in Australia, providing more than $470 million in annual R&D expenditure.

That investment is crucial to agriculture's and Australia's global food security.

Now is not the time to weaken the foundations of RDCs, simply due to the failings of a few.

Horti voice silenced

WHY can't an industry producing $9 billion of produce, at the farm gate, and employing 130,000 people maintain a voice in Canberra?

Horticulture Australia Council's demise is a tragedy for the 30,000 growers it represents, given it is a bigger employer and generator of wealth than the dairy or wool industries.

HAC had 16 member organisations, who will battle to be heard in the nation's capital.

Who will lead the charge in the industry's battles on labelling, quarantine, the abuse of supermarket power, labour shortages and the protection of Australia's horticultural land?

No one it seems. They're all too busy looking for excuses not to fund this crucial industry group.