Seven extension projects totalling over $270,000 have been funded through the Pastures Pathway Small Project Fund, as part of the Pastures and Livestock Productivity Project.
Activities funded under the Grant Fund will help farmers grow their pasture management knowledge and skills.
Activities conducted under the Pastures Pathway Small Project Fund will ensure that red meat producers and agri-business services are aware of the tools and resources available to assist them improve their productivity with good pasture management.
Specific activities include regenerative agriculture activities relating to native pastures in run country, development of tools including a pasture condition tool for the low rainfall area of the Derwent Valley and a pasture and soil carbon climate smart education program.
Tasmanian agriculture is a vital industry that will help our economy recover and rebuild from COVID-19, and through our Sustainable Agri-Food Plan we are working with industry to grow the farm gate value of Tasmania’s agricultural sector to $10 billion by 2050.
Pastures are integral to red meat production in Tasmania, with a farm gate value of more than $484 million (2017-18), and it is important our red meat producers are able to establish and maintain productive perennial pastures as well as adapt to a changing climate.
The successful grant recipients include King Island Natural Resource Management Group, Regenerative Agriculture Network Tasmania, Tamar NRM, The Derwent Catchment Project, Macquarie Franklin (jointly with JBS), Macquarie Franklin (jointly with Greenham Tasmania) and Farmers for Climate Action.
The fund is part of the three-year $648,000 Pastures and Livestock Productivity Project, jointly funded by the Tasmanian Government, Australian Government and the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture.
The Pastures and Livestock Productivity Project aims to improve pasture quality and quantity to increase livestock production and consists of three phases – social research, development of an extension model, and delivery of the Small Project Fund.
Pastures are vital to red meat production in Tasmania and this project will help producers improve their knowledge and skills in managing pastures.
For more information, go to www.farmpoint.tas.gov.au or call 1300 292 292.
More Media Releases from Guy Barnett
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