Monday, 22 April 2013 09:37

$8.8m to sustainable projects

Written by 

A total of $8.8 million has been awarded to 42 projects around the country after the latest round of the Sustainable Farming Fund, Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy says.

"These projects are driven from the grassroots and will help to improve economic and environmental performance. This co-funding will make a real difference to rural communities.

"Some of these projects include improving nutrient management, promoting pasture persistence, biological controls for pests, developing aquaculture, improving deer farm environmental management, and planning for collaborative water management.

"This includes 14 projects that have received funding from a special round that was run for Maori agribusiness late last year. Maori freehold land has enormous potential and some of these projects will help to realise the $8 billion in potential gains, as highlighted in a recent report by KPMG.

"Each project involves local groups and businesses who co-fund the work as well as running the project and bringing in the required expertise. Experience has shown this approach works and provides good value," he says.

The projects approved in the main funding round will commence July 1,2013 and run for one to three years. Most of the Maori agribusiness projects have already started, with the remaining three to commence on July 1, 2013.

More like this

Featured

Editorial: Fuelling Hype

OPINION: For some of us the threat of a fuel crisis is something we have dealt with before and are still here to tell the tale.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

What A Choice!

OPINION: If you ask this old mutt, the choice at the next election isn't shaping up as a contest of…

Your Call!

OPINION: A mate of yours says we're long overdue for a reckoning on what value farmers really get for the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter