Farmers will get practical assistance to improve soil health and testing with the rollout of eight new Regional Soil Coordinators across the nation.
Speaking at the Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub in Wagga Wagga,
Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said a coordinator would now be based at each of the innovation hubs across the nation.
“This is a $3 million initiative that will deliver down to earth support to Australian farmers,” Minister Littleproud said.
“We are giving farmers and land managers the tools and information they need to protect and improve the foundation of Australian agriculture, our soils.
“It gives them access to the best soil science and tools available, so they can maximise this year’s returns and better plan for the future.
“It’s on top of a national, $13.8 million Soil Extension Activities program that helps farmers to better understand soil health, better access the latest training and testing techniques, and make better decisions for future growing seasons based on real data.”
The Regional Soil Coordinators will work with Soil Science Australia to form a National Community of Practice.
Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs, part of the Australian Government’s $5 billion Future Drought Fund, provide networks for researchers, primary producers and community groups to improve drought resilience at the local level.
Source: Australian Government