Farm Business Resilience Program

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:55): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister tell the chamber about the state government's delivery of the Farm Business Resilience Program and how it is being rolled out across farming and growing sectors, in particular the GrowStrong program?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his question. Over many years and across many colours and levels of government there have been numerous initiatives and programs to assist farmers to get through periods of drought, in many cases prolonged periods of drought. The state government is currently delivering two Future Drought Fund programs: the Farm Business Resilience Program and the Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program. It is also a major partner in the South Australian Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub, known as the SA Drought Hub.

Now in its second year, the Farm Business Resilience Program in South Australia is helping farmers in the wine grape, broadacre, vegetable and dairy sectors to build resilience to the impacts of drought and climate change. The program does this through training projects that cover strategic farm business management and planning, farm risk management and decision-making, natural resource management and personal and social resilience.

Of course, development of knowledge in these key areas is critical to being able to navigate difficult periods for farmers and producers in both a personal and a business sense. Our state's sector-led farm business resilience delivery model means that training is tailored to specific needs of industries, further enhancing the value that this program provides in meeting the needs of farmers and producers across sectors, where, of course, operations can differ quite vastly.

One of the industry-led initiatives is the Wine Grape Council of South Australia's GrowStrong program, currently being delivered as a pilot project for South Australian wine grapegrowers in the Riverland and Limestone Coast, and it has already been completed in Langhorne Creek. The program provides practical help to wine grapegrowers, with training components delivered in the region consisting of the following training: firstly, Viti Fundamentals, which offers wine grapegrowers training in intensive vineyard resilience practices to build capacity, reduce vulnerabilities and promote financially and environmentally sustainable practices in their businesses.

Secondly, Business Fundamentals, comprising a masterclass series by the University of Adelaide business school and one-on-one business planning sessions run by Rural Business Support, covers topics including risk mapping, scenario planning, financial management and budgeting, industry law, technology adoption and customer engagement. Thirdly, and finally, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia training, which supports participants to gain nationally accredited sustainability certification.

GrowStrong is now in full swing and will run through May and June. In the Riverland Viti Fundamentals is being run today and tomorrow (1 and 2 May) and Business Fundamentals on 14, 21 and 28 May and 4 June. In the Limestone Coast Viti Fundamentals is being run on 18-19 June and Business Fundamentals on 21 and 28 May and 4 and 11 June.

The other sector-led projects delivered during the first two years of the Farm Business Resilience Program are AgRi-Silience, led by Livestock SA for the broadacre sector, Growing Profitability, led by AUSVEG SA for the vegetable sector, and Our Farm, Our Plan, led by the SA Dairyfarmers' Association for the dairy sector. The state government is pleased to partner with industry in ensuring that critical programs such as these are available as they really can make a difference in developing skills and knowledge that can see farmers and growers through difficult times such as drought and other natural disasters, many of which, of course, we know are inevitable.