With the opening of Round 2 this week, the GGA would like to take the opportunity to again put a spotlight on the grower groups who were successful in getting projects up and running through Round 1 of the Grower Group D&D Grants Program. We have listed the groups and their projects below, along with links to the project descriptions. Click here to view the full list, or click on the headings below to read more about individual projects.
Enhancing WA’s beef-cattle supply chain to increase production The Mingenew Irwin Group (MIG) has established the “North South Beef Alliance” to build a consistent and collaborative beef production supply chain by promoting the backgrounding system where pastoral cattle are finished on agricultural land.
Branding ethical and grass-fed red meat for export Recognising rising consumer interest in ethically-produced food, this project led by the the Fitzgerald Biosphere Group will quantitatively identify consumer attitudes and demand in WA and China and define a new brand to identify grass fed red meat, produced using best practise animal husbandry.
Developing a premium WA malt barley brand in Asian markets Through this project, SEPWA will work to generate a brand identity for Western Australian malting barley in the rapidly-growing Asian brewing sector.
Specialist Feed Wheat Hub Stirlings to Coast Farmers Inc. have proposed to develop a non-milling wheat / high quality (HQ) feed wheat value chain for the Southern part of the WA High Rainfall Zone (HRZ). This will incorporate pursuing new market opportunities in non-milling wheat/feed wheat and targeting new production systems.
Linking pastoral beef to higher-value markets through new backgrounding systems The West Midlands Group aims to build a robust backgrounding system for beef cattle in WA, by developing awareness and interest amongst producers of the commercial opportunities of cattle backgrounding in mixed farming enterprises.
Improvement of the Udon noodle wheat value chain Stirlings to Coast Farmers will look at maintaining the continuity of supply and quality of udon noodle wheat from the southern part of Western Australia through joint relationships with overseas flour millers and noodle manufacturers. They will also investigate and provide greater diversity and options for crop rotations and investigate alternative uses for Australian noodle wheat.
Investment opportunities in the sheep meat supply chain Merredin and District Farm Improvement Group (MADFIG), in collaboration with growers from the Far Eastern Agriculture Research (FEAR) group, will work with organisations in the sheep meat supply chain to build more resilient businesses that have the capacity to adapt to change.
Capacity Building in the Northern Valleys Region The West Midlands Group is in the heart of the large and diverse Northern Valleys agribusiness sector and will be working with growers to explore opportunities to increase production, capacity and the value of the produce coming from the region. The project aims to better understand what is being produced in the region and when it is being delivered to market.
Dryland natural rubber Fitzgerald Biosphere Group will initiate the development and commercialisation of Parthenium argentatum (guayle) as a sustainable, multi-functional industrial crop in Western Australia. The project will trial Parthenium argentatum as a perennial crop on the South Coast, raise awareness of the species as an alternate commercial crop in the region and develop relationships with potential investors.