Joint media release: Developing farm business resilience

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management, Senator the Hon Murray Watt
Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, the Hon Jo Palmer MLC

A successful farm business resilience pilot program run by Dairy Tasmania is being rolled out to other industries, to give Tasmanian farmers the tools they need to prepare for and manage risk, and adapt to a changing climate.

The Albanese and Rockliff Governments have jointly committed over $4 million to the new Tasmanian Farm Business Resilience Program, under the Australian Future Drought Fund.

Over the next two years the target is for at least 300 farming businesses to receive subsidised learning opportunities and develop farm business plans, tailored to a participants’ own agribusiness, risks and situation.

The tender process is now open to industry groups and service providers to deliver similar farm business resilience plans for other industry sectors and across all Tasmanian regions.

The Program runs until late 2025.

Additionally, the Tasmanian Government will support a $450,000 partnership with Dairy Tas to deliver its Our Farm Our Plan framework to 75 dairy farmers.

The program will give farmers access to workshops and one-on-one support to consider their long-terms goals, business management and risks, investment priorities, natural resource management, climate change, succession plans, sustainable irrigation, and farm safety. 

Further information is available from the NRETas website: www.nre.tas.gov.au/fbr

Quotes attributable to Federal Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister, Murray Watt:

“The Albanese Labor Government is committed to working collaboratively with government and industry to ensure businesses are equipped for the future.

Tasmanians are no strangers to natural disasters and drought, and we are pleased to commit federal funding to help develop more resilient communities.”

Quotes attributable to Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Jo Palmer:

“Developing a climate ready agricultural sector is a priority to unlocking the Rockliff Liberal Government’s target to grow the value of agriculture to $10 billion by 2050.

“We know this starts on the farm, supporting farmers, farm managers, and their employees with training and coaching to develop or update their own plans for their own business in their own way.

“The Tasmanian Farm Business resilience program has been designed with the ethos “developed by farmers for farmers.”

“I would like to congratulate DairyTas for leading the way with building on-farm resilience and preparedness and managing the risks to sustainable production and the competitiveness of the Tasmanian dairy sector.

“I look forward to other Tasmanian industry sectors taking advantage of this fantastic program.”