The WA Government is working with the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, as part of the Farm Business Resilience program to create opportunities for pastoralists and farmers across 6 agricultural industries, as well as targeted Aboriginal programs, to connect with each other and business professionals to improve their farm business resilience.
The program caters to farm businesses across the following:
- dairy
- Aboriginal primary industries (via 5 sub-streams)
- aquaculture
- broadacre mixed farming
- pastoral and horticulture north west
- apiculture
- horticulture.
The program builds the strategic management capacity of farmers/farm managers and employees to prepare for and manage risk, adapt to a changing climate and improve the farm business’s economic, environmental and social resilience. It supports learning in areas including:
- strategic business skills
- risk management
- natural resource management
- personal and social resilience.
The Farm Business Resilience program will help farmers identify gaps in their business strategy and provide them with the tools they need to prepare for, and manage, risk and improve farm business resilience. It also supports farm business planning, tailored to participants’ business and situation, and the opportunity for professional feedback on the plans.
For more information visit the Australian Government's FBR webpage [1].
Program industry providers
The 2022–2025 program implemented a single grants process exclusively for service providers. This streamlined approach was designed to ensure a focused and efficient allocation of funding, enabling providers to deliver targeted support and services within the program's framework.
The lead providers for each industry/landscape are:
| Industry/landscape | Lead provider |
|---|---|
| Aquaculture | Aquaculture Council of Western Australia Inc. |
| Northern pastoral | Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association Inc. |
| Southern rangelands/pastoral | College of Extension |
| Northern horticulture | Value Creators Pty. Ltd. |
| Southern horticulture | Grower Group Alliance (Inc.) |
| Apiculture | The Bee Industry Council of Western Australia |
| Broadacre - grains | AgriStart Pty. Ltd. |
| Broadacre - livestock | Grower Group Alliance (Inc.) |
| Dairy | Western Dairy |
Aboriginal economic development program
The department is working with Aboriginal organisations and key partners to build resilience across industry sectors. Five programs are being run.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| Aboriginal Pastoral Academy |
|
| Indigenous Aquaculture and Fishing Project |
|
| First Nations Regenerative Agribusiness Capability Project |
|
| Aboriginal Bushfood Business Support Service |
|
| First Nations Sandalwood Industry Capability Program |
|
The remainder of the program is being delivered through industry analysis, resourcing delivery and undertaking communication and reporting.