Northern Territory agricultural businesses are demonstrating the impact of the NT Government’s Agricultural Value-Add Grant Program, using funding to strengthen productivity, diversify agricultural opportunities, and build local industry capability.
Round 2 of the Agricultural Value-Add Grant Program attracted strong interest from industry with a total of 8 Territory businesses awarded $258,000 in grant funding, leveraging more than $830,000 in combined project investment.
Darwin-based business Outback Connection, led by beekeeper and innovator Caleb Cardno, received a grant to assist in manufacturing and deploying 65 NT-designed beehives, expanding pollination services and delivering apiary training.
The project is already supporting horticultural producers throughout the Darwin rural area, with 40 to 50 hives currently deployed to assist pollination across a range of crops with a further 45 hives scheduled for deployment to Wadeye to support community apiary training and pollination services.
Caleb’s innovative hive design is also being made available to beekeepers across the Territory with the project also delivering practical apiary training opportunities, including programs supporting Indigenous students and remote communities.
Caleb said the value-add grant allowed him to increase the number of hives they were manufacturing and deploying across the Territory, helping growers improve pollination and fruit production.
“We’ve designed these hives specifically for Northern Territory conditions and we’re excited to see them supporting both commercial agriculture and community-led beekeeping initiatives,” Caleb said.
“The project is about more than honey production. It’s creating pollination services, biosecurity awareness, training opportunities and new enterprise possibilities in remote communities.”
At Acacia Hills, Alison Hayward received a grant to assist in establishing a tropical fruit tree nursery focused on propagating avocado varieties suited to Northern Territory conditions.
The project has doubled rootstock production to 400 plants this year, with the new shade house facility providing an estimated capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 trees.
The nursery plans to increase avocado numbers over the coming years as it continues research and development and refines the propagation process. Grafting has recently commenced, supporting the future supply of regionally adapted avocado trees for Territory growers.
The nursery is helping address a key industry need by increasing access to planting material proven to perform in local conditions.
Alison said the value-add funding helped expand nursery capacity and increase the number of grafted avocado trees the nursery was able to produce.
“There’s growing interest in avocado production across the Territory, and access to planting material suited to our conditions is essential for the industry’s future growth,” Alison said.
“It’s rewarding to see the first trees progressing well and to be contributing to the development of a local avocado industry.”
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries CEO Amelia Vellar said the Agricultural Value-Add Grant Program is helping Territory businesses turn innovative ideas into practical outcomes that strengthen the Territory’s agriculture sector.
“Projects like these are creating opportunities for industry growth, addressing key opportunities within the agriculture sector and delivering flow-on benefits for other producers and communities,” Ms Vellar said.
