$1.1m partnership between Victorian Coalition Government and BCG to drive productivity growth in the grains sector

1419
Image credit: flickr User: Rainer Schütz

The Victorian Coalition Government has partnered up with Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) to contribute $1.1 million to the three-year pilot project intended to support growers in Wimmera Mallee in their efforts to stay up-to-date and adopt new practices and technologies.

Image credit: flickr User: Rainer Schütz
Image credit: flickr User: Rainer Schütz

“Grain exports from Victorian ports increased 18 per cent in 2012-13 to reach $2.19 billion, making grains our most valuable agricultural export earner. Increasing global demand is providing significant export growth opportunities, but we must continually lift productivity for exporters and growers to be competitive and profitable,” said Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh while speaking at the BCG Grains Research Expo in Birchip.

“The Victorian Coalition Government has set the goal to double Victoria’s food and fibre production by 2030 and we are helping our state’s farmers become more productive and profitable through targeted research, development and extension partnerships in the $61.4 million Growing Food and Fibre initiative, as well as our extensive trade engagement work with key markets.”

According to the media release by the Premier of Victoria, the project is set to help growers in the region improve farm performance with the implementation of regular and tailored activities examining crop nutrition, tillage and controlled traffic systems, herbicide management and practices to cope with seasonal climate variability.

“We are also focused on developing partnerships such as this with our agricultural sectors, where we can work together to get the best outcomes for Victorian farmers. This is in stark contrast to the Labour Party, which is yet to even release its agriculture policy or announce a single election commitment for agriculture,” he said.

Adertisement

The Minister further added that the developed business expansion and growth models were created to encourage production gains and improve profitability, including business self-assessments.

“This project will help achieve that by providing growers with the support and information they need to adopt the latest productivity-enhancing technologies and management practices,” said BCG Board Chairman Caroline Welsh.