New on-the-ground projects will give farmers in the Parkes Electorate more tools and research to help them reduce farm costs, increase productivity and achieve greater returns at the farmgate.
Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton said Minister Joyce had approved funding for 31 new projects across Australia as part of the Australian Government’s $21.2 million dollar Landcare Innovation Grants.
“These grants have been awarded to a range of industry and research organisations, it’s all about developing ways to reduce input costs and generate better returns at the farmgate, while making sure our natural resources are here to support future generations,” Mr Coulton said.
Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton said he was excited about the grants being awarded to local projects and will see farmers in Western New South Wales have access to more resources and research to help them improve their management, profitability and sustainability.
“Successful projects in our area include $855, 140 for the ‘advanced seeding systems for enhanced erosion and weed control in broadacre cropping’ put forward by Conservation Agriculture & No-till Farming Association,” Mr Coulton said.
“Cotton Australia has also been successful, receiving $442, 400 for a project administered at Narrabri which is designed to address sustainable Australian cotton production supplying international markets.”
“I look forward to seeing the results of these projects and practical knowledge and research to help farmers,” Mr Coulton said.
A full list of projects is available at: http://www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/innovation-grants
Advanced seeding systems for enhanced erosion and weed control in broadacre cropping-CANFA Conservation Agriculture & No-till Farming Association Inc
Funding up to: $855,140 GST Inc.
This project will tackle some of the economic and sustainability issues facing no-till farming systems, including herbicide resistance and dependence on artificial fertilisers. New technologies from the USA and Argentina will be trialled at a number of dryland broadacre sites in NSW and SA to test their performance under Australian conditions. Pathways will be developed with Australian importers and manufacturers and agricultural advisors to help farmers take up these new technologies.
Sustainable Australian Cotton Production Supplying International Markets-Cotton Australia Limited
Funding up to: $422,400 GST Inc.
This project will modernise the Australian cotton industry’s online best practise management system, ‘myBMP’, to improve on-farm production and natural resource management. The myBMP platform will be modernised to enable farm-level reporting on performance indicators such as fertiliser, pesticide and water use on cotton farms. The new platform will improve reporting to critical audiences including growers, industry and international markets.
