Construction of a $14-million grains and oilseed breeding centre at Longerenong College will start on Thursday.
Construction of a $14-million grains and oilseed breeding centre at Longerenong College will start on Thursday.
Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall, Water Minister Peter Walsh and Member for Lowan Hugh Delahunty will turn the sod at the Bayer CropScience centre site.
The company's seeds general manager Rob Hall said Bayer CropScience aimed to create new wheat varieties that produced better yields and were more disease resistant.
"We will be developing new wheat and oilseed varieties and really looking for plants that increase productivity and nutrient-use efficiency and water-use efficiency," he said.
"Since we made the announcement that we would build the centre last August, we have finalised our plans and employed a couple of builders, who have been preparing the site."
Mr Hall said Bayer chose to build the centre at Longerenong because of good soil, climate and agronomic conditions, along with access to the Wimmera-Mallee Pipeline.
He said the centre, which he expects will be completed by the end of 2013, would benefit the region.
"We are attracting investment in the region and there is also money spent on procuring goods, services and support so it is a benefit to the community," he said.
"It will help grow the importance of the Wimmera as an agribusiness centre and will put the Wimmera on the map from a Bayer perspective.
"We are extremely excited to be able to build one of seven centres in Australia and being able to contribute to solving some agricultural problems, which will feed the growing population globally."
Longerenong College general manager John Goldsmith said Bayer was a 'good fit' for the college's training programs.
He said it was exciting that Bayer was leasing almost 80 hectares of land and investing in the campus.
"We will have access to their research in the field and we will have access to their staff as well, which will give students greater access to the experts," he said.
"This is one of seven worldwide stations so it is a major investment and we are very fortunate to have the Australian site located here.
"That will bring another 20 full-time employees to the campus and up to 40 casual employees at the busy time of the year, including harvest when our students will be involved as well."