North Queensland horticultural growers will be better supported to achieve their business and financial goals following the announcement of a new partnership between Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) and the Rural Financial Counselling Service North Queensland (RFCSNQ).
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The support services announced form part of QFVG's Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP) being delivered via the organisation's project delivery arm, Growcom.
QFVG chief executive officer Rachel Chambers said under the new partnership horticultural growers in North Queensland would be able to access the Rural Financial Counselling Service to explore risks to their business and develop their Farm Business Resilience Plan.
"This is a fantastic outcome for our north Queensland growers as traditionally these services have only been available to livestock producers," Ms Chambers said.
"With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting drier conditions ahead, it is important that horticultural growers prepare now so they can mitigate the impacts of future droughts."
RFCSNQ chief executive officer David Arnold said he and the team were looking forward to working with Growcom to support the implementation of Farm Business Resilience Plans in the horticultural sector.
"We've been engaged by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) now for approximately 18 months delivering the FBRP across the grazing sector in North and Central Western Queensland and we are seeing an excellent take-up of the program," Mr Arnold said.
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"Our specialist Rural Financial Counsellors (RFC) have the skills and industry experience to support growers. Just as we have RFCs knowledgeable in the grazing sector, we have RFCs equally knowledgeable in the horticultural industry."
Growcom's Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP) is assisting horticultural growers to identify gaps in their current farm management systems and develop plans that support growth and aid in mitigating the impacts of future droughts. The program is available until June 2025.
The Farm Business Resilience Program is jointly funded through the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund and the Queensland Government's Drought and Climate Adaptation Program.
