Albanese labor Government delivering funding for Climate-Smart farming

The Albanese Labor Government is backing Australian farmers with more than $16 million in climate-smart grants flowing to ten projects across the country.

Delivered through Round 2 of the Capacity Building Grants stream of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program, the projects will help farmers better understand their emissions while adopting climate-smart practices, boosting sustainability and strengthening natural resource management.

These projects build on the Government’s Agriculture and Land Sector Plan which is backed by more than $2 billion in investment to ensure our farmers and producers can confidently face our climate future.

This investment is delivering practical opportunities on the ground by supporting farmers to grow more sustainability, prepare for future challenges and continue producing the world-class products Australians are proud of.

The projects funded today range from soil health to climate resilience, carbon farming and water management:

• More than $1.8 million to Ricegrowers Limited to help rice growers across the Murray Darling Basin build new skills to strengthen their sustainability and productivity, including improving water efficiency and reducing emissions.

•  More than $610,000 to West Pine in Tasmania to support agricultural specialists provide on-the-ground support, expertise and guidance to farmers to boost sustainable farming practices.

• More than $2.9 million to Sheep Producers Australia Limited to support improving the climate resilience of sheep farms and to help sheep producers to verify their sustainability credentials, which are essential for maintaining market access.

•  More than $2.1 million to Wine Industry Association of Western Australia to support wine businesses across WA build climate resilience, measure their carbon footprint and accelerate formal certification.

• More than $2.7 million to Soils for Life to support horticultural farmers adopt climate-smart practices in Tasmania, Northern NSW, Far North QLD and Southwest WA – and to support dairy farmers reduce emissions and boost their sustainability, including adaptive grazing and agroforestry techniques.

• More than $2.6 million to the University of Adelaide to support training, peer-to-peer learning, and expert guidance to pastoralists and land managers throughout Australia's Southern Rangelands to encourage the uptake of more efficient grazing and land management tools and technologies.

•  More than $1 million to Upper Barwon Landcare Network in Victoria towards training and mentoring that will support farmers improve their sustainability by adopting best practice climate-smart agricultural techniques.

• More than $376,000 to West Hume Landcare in NSW for training and tools that will assist farmers to boost their resilience and sustainability in a changing climate, including groundwater and soil health monitoring.

• Over $2 million to Central West Farming Systems Incorporated to support the delivery of workshops and on-ground demonstrations that will give farmers the tools for a regenerative farming system, including livestock management technologies and sustainable grazing techniques.

These Capacity Building Grants are funded under the Natural Heritage Trust’s $302.1 million Climate-Smart Agriculture program.

For more information visit: www.agriculture.gov.au/climate-smart

Quotes attributable to Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins MP:

“Sustainable and climate-smart practices are central to Australia’s agenda for agriculture, and key to the industry’s future.

“That’s why our Government has released the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan, and funded the projects announced today through the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program.

“The Government is working closely with farmers, industry groups and communities to improve our resilience to the impacts of climate change and to grow market opportunities – reaffirming our trusted position in the global trade market.

“I look forward to seeing the benefits of these projects on the ground around Australia, including how they are supporting farmers and landholders to build capacity and adopt new, climate-smart sustainable agriculture practices.

“I congratulate our successful recipients - the Climate Smart Agriculture Program is an important investment in the agriculture industry.”