Following strong interest in Round 1 of the Queensland Agritourism Business Grants program, the Palaszczuk Government has again partnered with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) to deliver Round 2.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said providing co-funding so farmers could establish or expand their agritourism businesses supported the ongoing growth of agritourism in Queensland.
“Previous grants allowed the development or expansion of agritourism businesses through the provision of professional or specialist consultancy services, or construction or modification of on-farm infrastructure,” Mr Furner said.
“A series of agritourism development workshops have also been conducted across the State under this initiative, making a real difference to farmers on how they approach the tourism part of their agritourism business, and to understand what resources are available to them.”
Under this final round, there is a 50 per cent co-contribution up to a maximum of $25,000 to match farmers’ funds.
Round 2 closes at midnight on Sunday, 13 November 2022. To apply, visit www.qff.org.au/projects/agritourism
In 2020 the Queensland Government established a $2 million agribusiness diversification project as part of the Queensland Government’s Unite and Recover: Economic Recovery Plan, to build capability and explore potential diversification opportunities in agricultural businesses.
QFF identified agritourism as a key diversification mechanism for agribusinesses and with DAF’s assistance, partnered with agritourism specialists Regionality Pty Ltd to research and write the Queensland Agritourism Roadmap that identified both the barriers to, and opportunities for agritourism growth across the state.
QFF CEO Ms Jo Sheppard said this important early work identified the three core themes of Strategic Leadership; Regulatory and Policy Reform; and Agritourism Sector Development as critical to the future of agritourism in Queensland.
“QFF partnered with DAF to deliver Round 1 of the Queensland Agritourism Grants Program earlier this year,” Ms Sheppard said
“This was oversubscribed attracting over $1.5M in applications, proving the value many Queensland farmers are placing on the opportunity of agritourism as a business diversification option.
“People often ask, what is agritourism? Agritourism is a tourism-related agricultural experience, service or product that connects visitors with people, places or products on a farm.
“Agritourism is an important growth industry for Queensland’s economy, particularly in regional and rural areas over the next decade and is worth an estimated $4.5 billion by 2030. With the Olympic opportunity on the horizon, now is the time to invest in the future of this exciting sector.”
Agritourism creates opportunities for farmers and regions to thrive, by connecting the farming economy with the tourism economy. It is an opportunity for farmers to add value, diversify, use spare capacity and underutilised assets.
It is a key diversification strategy in developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that businesses and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in an ever-changing world.
