- Barker to share in $6.48 million Smart Farms Small Grants funding
- Projects focus on supporting Australian farmers to adopt innovative practices that increase farm productivity, profitability and protection of natural resources management
The Australian Government continues to back farmers in Barker by helping them adopt the next generation of sustainable farming practices through Smart Farms Small Grants.
Thirteen successful applications in Barker will share in $6.48 million funding to carry out activities that increase farm productivity and boost natural resource management.
- Barossa Improves Grazing Group Incorporated $68,800 – Adoption of innovative practices to improve on-farm water security leading to increased sustainability and NRM outcomes in the Northern Mount Lofty and Barossa Ranges.
- MacKillop Farm Management Group Incorporated $95,625 – Grazing standing crops. Enterprise versatility, resilience, summer groundcover and soil health.
- Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board $77,000 – Optimising groundcover through benchmarking seasonal conditions and groundcover.
- WoTL Ltd $57,490 – Building the capacity of rural leaders to support women farmers to adopt best practice sustainable agriculture across the South Australian landscape.
- Charles Sturt University $99,600 – Building capacity and knowledge to increase dung beetle awareness among cattle and sheep producers.
- Department of Primary Industries and Regions $98,023 – Demonstrating and refining grower friendly tools to improve nutrient application efficiency and almond quality across the Murray Darling Basin.
- Grassland Society of Southern Australia $97,660 – Building Carbon Capacity in the Limestone Coast.
- Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine Incorporated $100,000 – Adopting Sustainable Winegrowing practices using the principals of Community Based Social Marketing.
- Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc. $99,000 – High impact digital extension of research and development in the Mallee.
- Potatoes South Australia Incorporated $100,000 – Demonstrating the potential of compost to reduce diseases and increase productivity in the Australian Potato Industry.
- South Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association $28,700 – Regional scale awareness raising and demonstrations to improve the sustainability of forestry, cropping and livestock operations with access to newly created, large-scale biochar supplies.
- The Wine Grape Council of South Australia Incorporated $99,980 – Growing the success of the EcoVineyards program throughout South Australia.
- South Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association $29,500 – Advancing inter-cropping in mainstream No-Till farming systems to improve sustainability, productivity and profitability.
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud said our farmers produce the best food and fibre in the world because of their ingenuity, resilience and incredible work ethic.
“They have always looked after the land and this program supports their continued environmental stewardship by backing clever ideas that deliver good on-ground results,” Minister Littleproud said.
“The Australian Government is investing almost $6.5 million through the fourth round of Smart Farms Small Grants towards a diverse range of local projects across Australia.”
“They aim to improve environmental, economic and social outcomes through better sustainability, productivity, and profitability in the food, fibre and forestry industries.”
Member for Barker, Tony Pasin, said he was excited by the great ideas put forward by the successful local applicants under Smart Farms Small Grants.
“This investment encourages clever ideas and goes directly to the grass roots, empowering locals to deliver benefits for their communities and natural resources,” Mr Pasin said.
“This is a key National Landcare Program initiative and part of the Australian Government’s commitment to helping industry towards its target of growing the sector to $100 billion by 2030.”
ENDS.
Fast Facts:
- The Smart Farms program is the key agriculture portfolio initiative under phase two of the $1.1 billion National Landcare Program.
- The program comprises the Smart Farming Partnerships, Smart Farms Small Grants and Building Landcare Community and Capacity grant programs.
- To date, including this fourth funding round, Smart Farms Small Grants has funded a total of 384 projects to the value of $25.5 million.
- An additional two rounds of Smart Farms Small Grants are anticipated with funding of up to $18 million.
- The government is investing almost $6.5 million funding 84 projects through the fourth round of Smart Farms Small Grants towards a diverse range of local projects across Australia. Grants were available for between $5,000 and $100,000 for farmers, fishers and community groups.
