THE focus of the nation's eight drought research hubs will be expanded to include broader agricultural activities in a $20 million boost to the sector's research and development.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the hubs would serve as a place where farmers could "come, feel and touch" the latest in agriculture innovation and research.
"As an old bank manager that used to sit around the kitchen table of farmers and doing cash flows every day with them, they're not really ready to adopt until they can see and feel and touch it, and they know that they're going to make a quid out of it," Mr Littleproud said.
"So being closer means that they'll be able to adopt that, because when they feel and see and touch it they'll spend a quid to adopt it and use it, and invariably that's how you get the adoption."
Part of the expansion includes $3 million to place a regional soil coordinator in each hub, in an effort to connect farmers with Soil Science Australia, the national soil science body.
The soil experts will be available to farmers and land managers to provide them with the latest tools, data and science to help them improve soil management.
While each hub will have a soil expert, the focus of each hub will vary, ranging from climate change and biosecurity to trade markets.
"A one-size-fits-all approach wouldn't work for our farmers - for example, the Southern NSW hub here in Wagga Wagga is focused on water management, food security and farming systems," Mr Littleproud said.
"You get the best minds in the world being able to come together and create some of these solutions, giving [farmers] the tools to be not only more resilient, but more profitable.
"I mean, resilience is a great word, but ultimately it comes down to them being more profitable."
Mr Littleproud said the expanded hubs were the beginning of "the evolution of Australian agricultural innovation", which would give the best and brightest the opportunity to develop their careers in the regions.
"We're saying to young people right across Australia that you can stay in regional Australia, you can go to a regional university, you can have a career pathway in agriculture," Mr Litteproud said.
"We are bringing our young people home. They can stay, get educated in regional Australia, and then be part of this new pillar of agriculture in research and development."