$3 million for University’s successful local co-operative program

Farming Together announcementKevin Hogan, Member for Page, with Lorraine Gordon, Director of Farming Together.

The successful Farming Together Program based at Southern Cross University will receive $3 million to help co-operatives around the country under a re-elected Coalition government, Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan announced today.

“This is great news for our local farmers and farmers across the country,” he said.

“This program provides grants to assist farmer groups establish farm co-operatives and other collaborative business models.

“This builds on the Government’s Agricultural White Paper that led to the establishment of the $13.8 million Farm Co-operatives and Collaboration Pilot Program.

“Farming Together has helped support more than 224 existing co-operatives and helped establish 69 new ones.”

Farming Together Director Lorraine Gordon said: “Farming Together has reached across every region and every primary industry sector in Australia.

“It has the expertise and capacity to address the very complex problems we are experiencing in rural and regional Australia around climate change. It is through collaboration that we remain resilient in difficult times.

“The Farming Together team know how to empower farmers to embrace change. It makes logical sense that Government would support such a successful Program.

“The Northern Rivers is the Collaboration and Cooperative Capital of Australia and is supported by a a leading University in all things environment and ecology.”

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