A total of seven carbon farming projects across the state will receive a share of $600,000 through a state government pilot program.
Part of the Growing Carbon Farming pilot, seven projects which demonstrate commercial carbon farming activities in addition to measurable environmental, social and economic benefits for the state will receive between $43,000 and $100,000 in funding.
The projects span horticulture, livestock, cropping and dairy, ranging from soil carbon sequestration and revegetation, to animal effluent management project activities and are located around the state.
Duxton Apples will receive $43,990 for soil carbon sequestration in alley-crop production systems through cover cropping practices, Thomas Elder Institute was awarded $99,400 to capture carbon neutral opportunities for livestock production systems in the upper South East of South Australia and Upper North Farming Systems were awarded $99,726 for a project surrounding applying whole-of-farm carbon project methods for climate resilience and diverse co-benefits in low rainfall farming systems of the Upper North.
Thomas Foods International and South Australian Dairyfarmer's Association were both awarded $100,000 for projects about improving carbon sequestration on Mount Schank Grazing Land and a biogas electricity generation facility combining a Covered Anaerobic Lagoon to collect and generate electricity by burning accumulated/collected methane on farm respectively.
Cloud Agronomics' project to apply clay amendments to sandy soils for improved soil quality and diversified revenue streams was awarded $85,000 and Mallee Sustainable Farming's development and assessment of large-scale cropping systems-based soil carbon sequestration through soil amelioration practices for the SA Murray Mallee gained them $96,500.
The funding will help to cover establishment costs for carbon farming including technical advice and carbon measurement, for the 12-month-long projects.
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven said it was an exciting initiative for SA and was supporting SA primary producers to realise opportunities within the developing carbon farming sector.
"Carbon farming can assist in mitigating or managing the risks that climate change poses to the resilience of South Australia's primary industries by restoring landscapes, improving agricultural productivity, and generating new sources of income, along with delivering a range of social and economic benefits for regional communities," she said.
"This is the first program of its type in SA and another important step in developing SA's carbon farming sector and reducing greenhouse gas emissions attributable to agriculture."
