APPLICATIONS are now open for the 2024 round of GippsDairy Grants.
The GippsDairy Grants Program began this year, and enables dairy farmers, organisations, and dairy farming groups to apply for funding to undertake initiatives to help the dairy industry, and to develop local solutions to local problems.
Each financial year, GippsDairy will provide a total grant allocation of $40,000, with up to $20,000 available per grant application.
Applications for projects must address priorities identified in the GippsDairy Strategic Plan 2020-2025, and have direct value to the Gippsland dairy industry and/or local farmers. The grant guidelines and application form can be found on the GippsDairy website.
GippsDairy’s Regional Extension Officer, Agribusiness, Richard Ockerse, believes the program is a terrific way to provide farmers with the resources needed to explore new advances in dairy.
“The program offers farmers the opportunity to move ahead with that great idea they had to promote the industry, or to take advantage of untested innovations,” he said.
“Farmers operate in a business environment and may not be willing to purchase a new product without being sure of the return on investment.
“These grants take away some of that risk by providing assistance with purchasing and testing the product, and then sharing their findings with the broader industry.”
In GippsDairy’s first round of applications, funding was awarded to continue a comparison of regenerative and conventional agricultural techniques, including a financial analysis of the two approaches. This will provide a key piece in the conversation around changing agricultural practices across the wider industry.
Applications for the 2024 round of grants close in October and funding recommendations will be provided to the GippsDairy board in December.
For more information on the GippsDairy Grants Program, phone Mr Ockerse on 0417 552 399 or email richard.ockerse@gippsdairy.com.au.
