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04-11-2003
During the next five years 15 000 farmers are expected to become involved in the $12 million Grain & Graze program, with a goal to lift the economic and environmental performance of mixed farming systems. According to the program managers around 7 000 producers will have reached the program targets by the program's end.
One of Australia's largest ever farmer-driven research programs, Grain & Graze is a collaboration between Meat and Livestock Australia, the Grains Research and Development Corporation and Land & Water Australia.
Grain & Graze will be initially working with farmer groups in eight regional areas stretching from southern Queensland to the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia. Representatives from each of the areas will gather in Mildura this week as the Mallee hosts the first annual Grain & Graze National Workshop. This year's workshop will focus on refining regional research proposals.
The workshop will also be the first official duty for newly appointed Chairman of Grain & Graze, Mr Ian Donges. The Program has welcomed the appointment of Mr Donges who was president of the National Farmers' Federation from 1998 to 2002, and runs a mixed cereal, sheep and beef enterprise near Cowra in the Central West of NSW.
Mr Donges said he was proud to accept the role of Chairman for the program which allowed farmers to set a natural resource management research and development agenda for their regions.
'Across Australia regional and catchment groups are being asked to set natural resource targets and develop management plans. Grain & Graze recognises that farmers will be vital to the success of these initiatives,' Mr Donges said.
'Grain & Graze will enable farmer groups to establish on-farm trials and demonstration sites to find the best ways in each region to meet the agreed catchment targets, with a focus on integrated management across the whole farm.
'On top of the benefits of improved natural resource management, the adoption of new strategies and whole -farm management systems has the potential to improve the bottom line on most farms by thousands of dollars a year.'
The initial Grain & Graze regions are the Central West and Murrumbidgee regions of NSW, the Corangamite/ Glenelg-Hopkins in Victoria, Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, the Avon and Northern Wheatbelt of Western Australia, and the cross border areas of the Border Rivers (southern Queensland and northern New South Wales) and the Mallee (New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia).
Project proposals are currently being drafted in each region, with on-ground activities due to start in Autumn next year.
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview with Ian Donges or National Operations Coordinator Dr Richard Price contact Media Officer, Land & Water Australia 02 6263 6000
| WHERE: | Department of Primary Industries (Corner Eleventh St and Koorlong Ave, Ilrymple) |
| WHEN: | 10am Wednesday November 5 to lunchtime November 7, 2003 |
| HOSTS: | Mallee Sustainable Farming Group |
| INTERVIEWEES: | Program Chairman Ian Donges (on Wednesday) National Operations Coordinator Dr Richard PriceRepresentatives from each of the eight regional groups (Border Rivers Qld/NSW, Central West NSW, Murrumbidgee NSW, Corangamite/Glenelg-Hopkins Vic, Mallee NSW, Vic and SA, Eyre Peninsula SA, Avon WA and Northern Ag (Wheatbelt) WA). |
| BEST TIMES: | 10-10.30am Wednesday - morning tea 1-2pm Wednesday - lunch 6pm Wednesday - Paddlesteamer ride and dinner 10.30-11am Thursday - morning tea 1-2pm Thursday - lunch 3.30pm Thursday - Afternoon Tea 4.30pm Jim Douglas (Douglas Mallee Farm) - a pictorial history of his father's farm at Werrimull South, Victoria 8.30am Friday - Field Trip starting after breakfast at Chris Douglas's farm |