Australian farmers are to adopt the next generation of sustainable farming practices with the announcement of the latest round of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s Smart Farms Small Grants program.
Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud said 84 innovative projects aimed at boosting farmers’ agricultural productivity and natural resource management had been awarded funding.
“These grants aim to improve environmental, economic and social outcomes through better sustainability, productivity and profitability in the food, fibre and forestry industries,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Our farmers produce the best food and fibre in the world because of their ingenuity, resilience and incredible work ethic,” he said.
“They have always looked after the land and this program supports their continued environmental stewardship by backing clever ideas that deliver on-ground results”
Mr Littleproud said the Department had allocated almost $6.5 million for this round of the Smart Farms Small Grants Program.
The Minister said one of the projects awarded funding under the Grants Program was investigating the use of multispecies cover crops in low rainfall broadacre mixed farming.
He said the project, delivered by Birchip Cropping Group, aimed to benefit mixed farming systems, where livestock could supplement a winter cash crop operation.
Chief Executive of Birchip Cropping Group, Fiona Best said the project would utilise local knowledge and help farmers make better, more cost-effective crop management decisions that optimised soil health.
