Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilience Farming Practices Grants

AG Excellence Alliance Incorporated

De-risking the seeding program. Adoption of key management practices for the success of dry and early sown crops.

Partnering with fifteen prominent Grower Groups and four Drought Hubs, the project will aim to deliver a program that accelerates the adoption of strategic dry and early sown crop management approaches.

Each group will tailor activities to meet the knowledge, experience, and needs of their member bases and local communities by providing a legacy through developed extension networks, resources, information to initiate, practice adoption across 2 million hectares of arable land.

This will help mitigate the impacts of increasingly erratic seasonal rainfall and, consequently, improve drought resilience of cropping systems.

$1,737,000.00

South Australia, Southern New South Wales Victoria, South-West Western Australia

The Mulloon Institute Limited

Up-skilling farming communities with landscape rehydration infrastructure and farm system solutions for drought resilience.

Working across five states with both land managers and NRM professionals, this project will increase adoption of landscape rehydration practices.

There is mounting evidence that these practices are proven to re-establish landscape functions & enable producers to make better use of rainfall and improve drought resilience.

Farming communities will be upskilled, through mentorship and peer support groups, with natural infrastructure and farm system solutions.

$996,285.00

Northern Territory, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria

Farmers2Founders Pty Ltd

Farmers2Founders TEKFARM - accelerating and scaling adoption of drought resilience technologies.

Drought resilience will be improved in this project through enhanced management of soil health, land condition and water in the wine, horticulture, grains, cotton, sugar and livestock farming systems. This will be achieved through optimising profitability and productivity of these farming systems.

The project supports adoption of 22 proven technologies on 75 farms to achieve this goal. Adoption and practice change will also be promoted nationally through a network of 100 advisors and the use of F2F TEKFARM method and tools.

$2,985,000.00

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia

Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc.

Building farming systems resilience and future proofing the impacts of drought through accelerating the adoption of proven cost-effective and yield responsive soil and fertiliser management practices by farmers across southern Australia.

The project will promote adoption of proven soil management practices that may significantly build the resilience of farming systems to drought. These practices will help in reduce yield variability, increase sustainability and profitability.

Interventions through this project will focus on addressing the socio-economic and other constraints that have so far limited the adoption of these practices.

Farmers will be enabled to trial and support on-farm demonstrations, share experiences through "peer to peer" learning, and contribute to a dedicated on-line “community of practice innovation platform” for sustained adoption.

The project provides a pathway for over 700 farmers directly engaged to achieve a rapid recovery and return to profitability following drought across over 6.0 million ha of vulnerable farmland.

$840,000.00

South Australia, North-West Victoria, Western New South Wales

Soils for Life Pty Ltd

Cropping Resilience 2025 - Delivering lasting large-scale practice change by building capacity and infrastructure for adoption of soil health drought resilience practices amongst Australian croppers.

The project supports building capacity and infrastructure for large-scale practice change and adoption of drought resilience practices to improve soil health in cropping systems.

Trusted farmer-led and NRM organisations will engage with farmers in 3 key cropping regions in WA, Victoria and Queensland.

An integrated approach will be used, including peer-to-peer learning, national awareness raising and the establishment and strengthening of networks with more than 3,600 farmers.

$556,168.00

Western Australia, Victoria,
Queensland

Stirlings to Coast Farmers Inc.

Adoption & extension of digital weather and soil moisture monitoring technologies to drive climate-resilient farming practices in the South-West Agricultural region of Western Australia.

The project will promote adoption of digital weather and soil moisture monitoring technologies to drive climate-resilient farming practices in the South-West agricultural region of Western Australia.

With 60 grower groups and approximately 4,000 WA farming enterprises, the project aims to promote adoption effectively across cover the South-West Western Australia. This encompasses approximately 25 million hectares across broadacre grains and livestock (sheep, cattle), viticulture, dairy and vegetable/fruit producers.

$211,295.00

Western Australia

Western Beef Association Inc

Better Making and Use of Hay and Silage - Mitigating drought and season variability effects for WA livestock industry.

The TopFodder (TF) program will be used to up-skill dairy, beef and sheep producers in WA on successfully making, storing and feeding silage.

The project will also enable these producers to improve the quality of traditionally produced hay, which further improve the quality feed for their stock in times of drought.

The Rumen8-Beef software will be used in training on efficient hay/silage allocation.

Project activities will cover a vast area 1,000 km wide between Geraldton and Esperance that supports approximately 800,000 head of cattle, eight million head of sheep and the entire WA dairy industry.

$432,508.00

Western Australia

Charles Sturt University

On-farm Water Management - Drought Preparedness & Resilience, Production and Environment

This project focusses on development of On-Farm Water Management Plans, utilising a collaborative partnership with Local Land Services, farmers and industry organisations across the Murray, Riverina and Southeast LLS regions.

Key regional networks will engage with livestock producers to support them in preparing and implementing plans that ensure adequate water retention, for stock and domestic use. This consequently improves drought resilience on farmlands.

A series of workshops and one-on-one follow-up sessions will be used to help producers develop their plans. Field days at 10 demonstration sites established across the region will provide clear examples of design options and evidence of the benefits of these plans.

$1,509,599.00

New South Wales

The Wheen Bee Foundation Limited

Expanding the Adoption of Bee Friendly Farming Best Management Practices to strengthen the drought resilience of Australia's pollinator-dependent crops.

The project will use the proven, science-based Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) Certification program to help farmers in pollinator-dependent industries, such as nuts, avocado, berries, and stone fruits, to protect, preserve and promote pollinator health on their farms. This will improve drought resilience by bolstering food security, biodiversity and ecosystem health.

The project aims to double the area of BFF Certified farmland nationally from 100,000 hectares by 31 May 2025.

Various promotion modes, such as field days, will be used to increase practice awareness and adoption and practice change.

$460,000.00

South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania

Birchip Cropping Group Inc.

Climate Ready - A dynamic platform for communicating proven strategies and technologies for drought ready cropping enterprises.

The project aims to transfer knowledge of proven practices to be prepared for droughts, including through timely decision making.

Farmers across the North-West region in Victoria will be supported through continuous learning and knowledge building on crop agronomy practices and strategic decision-making skills.

This will allow farmers, their support networks and local communities to be resilient to drought and ensure good stewardship of agricultural lands.

$299,000.00

North-West Victoria

Mollongghip & District Enterprises Pty Ltd

Enabling farmers’ drought resilience through the adoption of bio-fertilisers with proven effectiveness in increasing soil water holding capacity, improving fertiliser efficiency, and enhancing yields.

This project will demonstrate the effectiveness of biological fertilisers in improving soil function and building drought resilience of agricultural landscapes in central and western Victoria.
Demonstrations will be run on 10 farms to increase adoption of biological fertilisers. Farmers will be supported through a tailored education and coaching approach, including 2 x 2-day workshops to 10 farmers and online webinars and podcasts to an additional 250 farmers, to build their skills in regenerative practices that improve soil water holding capacity and ensure fertiliser efficiency and stable soil organic matter.

Promotion at the National scale, through online resources, will scale out broader adoption of biofertilizer use for drought resilience.

$712,707.00

Central and western Victoria

Northern Territory Farmers Association Incorporated

Extension and Adoption of Drought Resilient Tropical Farming Systems through Best Management Practice (BMP).

The project will improve drought resilience of cattle production systems in the Northern Territory through diversification. Sustainable cotton production for fodder and fibre on cattle farms will be introduced for that purpose.

Delivery of a range of Face-to-face workshops, field days and demonstration sites that cover Water Management, Soil health, Sustainable Natural Landscape/Natural Assets, and Fodder and rotations to benefit approximately 70 existing broadacre cropping enterprises covering 20,000 hectares in the Northern Territory.

A framework using Best Practice Management principles (myBMP) will be used to help producers by strengthening their skills in agribusiness, farming practices, and on-farm risk management. LiDAR mapping will help identify suitable land types and ensure sustainable development and resilience of these enterprises.

Through provision of alternative food sources for stock, the project also aims to build resilience and sustainability of the broader NT rangelands.

$510,575.00

Northern Territory

Pork Innovation WA Inc

Managing water in a changing climate – An extension toolkit to facilitate adoption of best practice water management for pork and poultry producers in Western Australia.

The project focusses on increasing adoption of best practice water management in the Western Australia pig and poultry production systems to improve resilience to drought.

Producers will be supported, through extension programs, to improve their knowledge and management of the impacts of poor water quality, including marginally saline water, on the health and productivity of their stock and, consequently the drought resilience of their farms.

$167,500.00

Western Australia

Up 2 Us Landcare Alliance Inc.

Preparing the next generation of extension and Landcare staff in drought preparedness and recovery.

This project will empower future extension officers in drought resilience management.

Sixty university students in NRM and Agricultural fields will be engaged and educated on drought preparedness, resilience, and recovery. An integrated approach will be used that includes a series of 25 workshops, regional forums and events, visiting 40 properties, and an ongoing mentoring program to both build the confidence and employment skills of participants.

In addition, over 480 landholders will be provided with essential information on building drought resilience of their farms in north-east Victoria.

Through these activities, the project aims to increase adoption of drought resilience practices at scale.

$549,504.00

Victoria

Millmerran Landcare Group Inc

We want to demonstrate how to be last in to & first out of drought. Assisting with implementation of improved land management changes using proven techniques & practices to increase production, resilience & diversity that can be mirrored elsewhere.

The project will engage 15 landholders to demonstrate proven drought management strategies that will improve drought resilience. Focus will be on plant diversity improvements, permanent groundcover management, mainly using locally suitable species, and natural sequence farming techniques (ponding & natural systems works).

These strategies will increase natural capital and soil water holding capacity, providing water reserves for drought and broader climate resilience of agricultural landscapes.

A series of field days, workshops, and case studies will be used and promoted to the broader community to scale up adoption.

$201,750.00

Queensland

Australian Mohair Marketing Organisation Ltd

Australian Mohair producer’s drought resilience implementation plan

A broad group of Australian Mohair producers will be trained on drought resilience strategies that include regenerative soil management practices.

An integrated approach consisting of 4 workshops, on-farm implementation, mentoring and parasite management will be used to ensure adoption of these strategies and improvement of drought resilience of 15 producers and their farms.

Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) methodology will be used to measure and promote the outcomes of these strategies.

$246,000.00

South-eastern New South Wales and Southern Queensland

Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association Inc.

Pasture Diversity for Drought Defence

The project focusses on the role of diverse pastures in managing soils for drought and broader climate resilience on grazing lands in low and medium rainfall areas of South Australia

60 Livestock producers will be supported to adopt grazing management practices that ensure optimal plant diversity and recovery, healthy soil function, and water cycling in pastures, through all seasons.

This will be done by establishing 2 demonstration sites, 2 workshops, 2 local pasture species diversity guides and access to learning resources with a network of 500 producers managing approximately 1.5 million hectares across Australia.

$198,800.00

South Australia

Irrigated Cropping Council Inc.

Flexible irrigated farming systems responsive to drought and seasonal climate volatility

This project will increase adoption of proven practices in managing production of faba beans, wheat, barley and canola.

The focus will be on agronomic techniques and practices that create flexible irrigated farming systems that are adaptable to seasonal forecasting and variability. These include setting yield targets, matching nitrogen nutrition to yields, irrigation strategies to maximise water use efficiency and switching from grain to fodder crops when needed.

These practices will be promoted through demonstration and extension activities to three farming systems groups with a combined membership of over 1,000 and a reach of over 5,000 irrigated grain growers covering approximately 1.5 million hectares of irrigated land.

$405,500.00

Northern Victoria, Southern New South Wales