Western Australian farmers have been encouraged to invest in the future of their enterprises by participating in a series of high-quality business workshops to build enterprise, sustainability and prosperity.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is partnering in the delivery of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Farm Business Resilience Program workshops to be held in coming weeks.
The workshops will be held over two blocks of two days at Carnarvon, the Peel region and Perth.
The cost-effective program will roll out the next generation of business resilience planning, building on the foundations of DPIRD’s WA Drought Pilot Program and subsequent Plan, Prepare and Prosper workshops delivered to 2400 agribusinesses across the State.
The next generation intensive training program aims to build participants’ skills, knowledge and confidence to improve strategic business capacity and capability.
Participants will work with experts to develop drought resilience plans, tailored to their enterprise needs, which help to prepare for and manage risk, adapt to a changing climate and improve economic, environmental, social and personal resilience.
Sustainable land and water resource management will also be addressed, alongside exploring emissions reduction and carbon farming challenges and opportunities.
The subsidised workshops cost $500 to attend and participants are encouraged to bring along their farm business plans.
DPIRD principal policy officer Karen Barlow encouraged all agribusinesses – including those that participated in the former Drought Pilot – to register to attend the Farm Business Resilience Program workshops.
“The workshops will arm participants with the latest business and resource management information and intelligence to reinforce the strength of their enterprises,” she said.
“This practical initiative builds on the foundations of earlier programs, which took a unique ‘hands on’ approach to drought by assisting WA agribusinesses to deal with dry seasons as a normal course of business.
“The world has changed significantly since the Drought Pilot was first run, with the advent of digital technologies, improved connectivity and a greater understanding of sustainable land use practices and carbon farming – let alone the impact of the pandemic.”
The workshops will be held in the Peel region 20-21 June and 12-13 July, Carnarvon during 27-28 June and 26-27 July and Perth on 4-5 July and 10-11 August 2022.
For more information and to register to attend a Farm Business Resilience Program workshop visit www.agric.wa.gov.au/futuredroughtfund.
