Date Time Growing future of agriculture A $10 million State Government funding boost will increase La Trobe University’s world-leading research capabilities in agriculture and food, leading to practical solutions and greater sustainability for Australian agriculture and regional communities. The funding, announced today by Victoria Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas as part of the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF), will be used to fund: Agriculture Production Platform ($3.5 million), to expand La Trobe’s research glasshouses, creating new growth facilities and controlled environment pods. The refurbished glasshouses will provide a unique facility where industry partners will be able to rapidly optimise management and breeding, and use “big data’ to improve yield, quality and plant health.