Four months after the Federal Government’s $14.9 million “Farm Co-operatives and Collaboration Pilot Program (FCCPP) was launched, applications have come from agriculture sectors such as livestock, horticulture and irrigation.

The program, a key initiative of agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce’s Ag White Paper, seeks to provide farmers with knowledge and materials on collaboration in agriculture.

The FCCPP is being delivered under the title of “Farming Together“ by Southern Cross University (SCU).

Communications team leader for the program at SCU, SusanWebster, said Farming Together welcomes enquiries from people interested in developing almost any aspect of agricultural collaboration and funding is available to bring specialist skills to help make it happen.

Specialist skills may include marketing, product scoping, R&D, capital raising, governance, export, packaging, logistics or other one-off consultancies.

Cropping industry interest in collaboration

Businesses suitable for collaboration, collective bargaining or co-operative,  can take many forms.

Successful models in grains include ag research and extension organisation, Birchip Cropping Group, and SA northern Mallee collaborative family farm, Bulla Burra, both of which are represented on Farming Together’s industry advisory group.

See more links here and here

Most applicants to date have been red-meat producers, then followed by cropping industries.

Farming Together will be considering applications until mid-2017.

Contact details :

• Website: www.farmingtogether.com.au
• Email: info@farmingtogether.com.au
• Phone: 1800 00 55 55

Farming Together – brief program details provided by the Federal Government and SCU:

How will it help me?

You get access to independent business support and industry specialists. The most-promising projects will be further developed, leading to consideration for additional assistance.

Who is eligible?

Farmers, fishers or foresters who:

– Are an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident and

– Own, operate or manage a primary production business enterprise as determined by the ATO.

A farmer group must include at least two people or businesses.

What is the selection criteria?

Projects will be selected based on:

-The scope and scale of on farm impacts,

-The legacy of the project (long term impact/capacity building),

-The development of transferrable knowledge that others can access,

-Balance across geographical areas,

-Balance across industries, and

-Ability to be catalytic in nature.

What is covered? What isn’t?

Assistance will be offered in at least one of the following areas: marketing, product scoping/R&D, capital raising, governance, export, packaging, logistics and other one-off consultancies.

Not covered are: overseas visits, personal study, business hardware or ongoing staffing.

Are there other ways to participate?

Farm advisors can be engaged in agricultural-specific areas:

• Co-operatives,
• Collective bargaining, and
• Collaboration

Agencies, regional networks, enabling organisations and other advisors can help deliver the program in their regions through a competitive, ongoing quarterly tender process.