Demonstration farmers will help SA landholders across SA to dip the toe into the world of carbon farming, under a new state government project.
Carbon farming is simply farming in a way that pays money to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or captures and holds carbon in vegetation and soils such as planting native trees and shrubs.
Primary Industries Minister David Basham said the new $1 million Growing Carbon Farming program was being developed to encourage farmers to adopt carbon farming into their production system and to capitalise on the carbon market subsidies being offered by the Commonwealth.
"The State Government wants to see more SA farmers and landholders take up carbon farming which can provide financial diversification to help manage risk as well as environmental benefits," he said.
"The South Australian first, 12-month $1m program will support the establishment of a minimum of six commercial carbon demonstration projects," he said.
"Carbon farming can range from a single change in land management such as no-till cultivation to a whole-of-farm integrated plan which maximises carbon capture and emissions reduction.
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"This can have a range of benefits including generating new sources of income, restoring landscapes, improving agricultural productivity and helping manage the risks of climate variability.
"The uptake of carbon farming remains low in South Australia and this program aims to change that by demonstrating the financial benefits and improving the understanding of carbon farming.
He said as a first step, they are asking eligible landholders who are undertaking or in early stages of developing a carbon farming project to register their interest in providing demonstration farms for the program.
"Successful projects will receive a grant to help cover early establishment costs, including technical advice and carbon measurement costs, and can also cover participation costs in demonstration activities," he said.
"Farmers often like looking over the fence at what works elsewhere."
Those interested in getting involved in the program should register their interest in the link below.
Bute graingrower James Venning says the opportunity is exciting and a step in the right direction.
"I think it would be important to obviously demonstrate it in the high rainfall zone, but also in a low rainfall zone," he said.
"There needs to be one in the dry areas purely just to confirm that it's not going to work as speculated - it's just as important as confirming that it does work."
- Details: pir.sa.gov.au
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