The Tasmanian Liberal Government is delivering additional support for agricultural industries as part of our long-term plan to sustainably grow the value of the State’s agriculture sector to $10 billion by 2050.
The Government recognises Tasmanian agriculture is the lifeblood of our regional communities, generating jobs and exports, which is why we are announcing two streams of the Strategic Industry Partnership Program to support key sectors such as beef, dairy, fruit and vegetables.
Stream One will focus on providing grants to support collaborative industry-led projects aimed at accelerating the sustainable growth of agriculture.
These projects will align with, and address, strategic priorities including those identified in the Tasmanian Sustainable Agri-Food Plan 2019-23, the Competitiveness of Agriculture for 2050 White Paper, and the Rural Water Use Strategy.
Stream Two encompasses the second year of COVID-19 resilience and recovery support provided to the agri-food sector through the Agricultural Workforce Resilience Package.
This stream of funding will help industry plan for, and address, COVID-related impacts including workforce, supply chain, technical and market disruptions.
The Strategic Industry Partnership Program provides a total of $2.3 million over four years to fund a diverse range of projects to support industry growth, job creation and prosperity in our rural communities.
A total of $639,000 has already been allocated for COVID-19 resilience and recovery program projects in November 2020 including:
*Livestock Transport Association of Tasmania – to develop capacity and capability within Tasmania via the Safe Livestock Loading and Transport Training Program;
*Wine Tasmania – to support the Tasmanian wine sector’s sustainability through the introduction of entry level training for new wine grape pickers, the development and promotion of Net Zero Carbon Emissions and tailored support for development of COVID-19 procedures and practices;
*Sprout Tasmania – to increase business resilience, recovery, and growth through upskilling producers on a broader scale as well as to improve understanding of the small-scale farming sector in Tasmania to identify industry needs, aid in business recovery and encourage jobs in agriculture;
*Tasmanian Hemp Association – to further develop industrial hemp in Tasmania by targeted education of licensed growers and processors to increase yields and accelerate community engagement to increase end-product sales; and
*Fruit Growers Tasmania – to identify the impacts of COVID-19 on Tasmania’s fruit industries, support businesses to recover, increase resilience against future shocks, and promote the seasonal and long-term job opportunities available in Tasmania’s fruit sectors as well as roll out a Regional Transport Pilot.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is working with industry and investing in these projects to support production and management efficiencies, drive growth and access to new markets, and support regional communities into the future.
More information about the Strategic Industry Partnership Program can be found on the DPIPWE website: https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/agriculture/covid-19-help-for-industry-and-agricultural-businesses/agricultural-workforce-resilience-package/strategic-industry-partnership-program
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