• Grant awarded in Mallee for the Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes program
• Grant will fund projects to trial and demonstrate land management practices that can reduce the impacts of drought on farm production
• Part of the $5 billion Future Drought Fund

Mallee will benefit with $4.7 million through the Future Drought Fund in a share of over $23 million being invested in projects to demonstrate land management practices that help sustain farm productivity during drought, and a quicker recovery after drought.Member for Mallee, Anne Webster said the five projects will provide demonstrations and insights that the region’s farmers can learn and apply.“These projects, will have an enormous impact for local farmers, but also across the nation,” Dr Webster said.“The program supports activities that demonstrate land management practices that support agricultural productivity during drought, and coming out of it.“Farmers are familiar with sharing their knowledge and ideas. This stream of the $5 billion Future Drought Fund is the Drought Resilient Soils and Landscapes program, and facilitates projects here in Mallee that will influence drought management practice for farmers across Australia.”Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said  the projects in Mallee will directly involve the area’s farmers, and will demonstrate land management practices, and share knowledge with farmers through field days, workshops, paddock walks, publications, and similar activities.“The knowledge generated through the program, about drought resilient practices, could be relevant for up to 85 million hectares of farming land across the country,” Minister Littleproud said.The land management practices to be demonstrated through the program include:

• Managing groundcover to protect pastures and soils as drought conditions take hold, through management of grazing pressure and stocking densities
• Using more drought resilient pasture systems, including the native perennial grasses and shrubs, and legume species.
• Improving water infiltration and the water holding capacity of soils through practices such as improving sandy soils and landscape rehydration.
• Sowing practices and technologies that respond to weather conditions and optimise the use of available water
• Using inter-row vegetation in irrigated horticulture to improve water infiltration and soil health, making orchards more drought resilient
• Restoring bare ground areas, bringing drought affected soils back into productivity
• Improving farm dams and riparian areas so they are more effective in making water available in times of drought.

“The knowledge generated through the program, about drought resilient practices, could be relevant for up to 85 million hectares of farming land across the country.” Minister Littleproud said.Each project receives a grant between $500,000 and $1 million and will run until mid-2024.For a full list of projects visit: https://www.awe.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/drought/future-drought-fund/drought-resilient-soils-and-landscapesFast Facts:

• The 26 successful projects will provide best practice examples of work that not only benefits the land and local community but can be successfully applied at scale.
• Collectively, the projects involve demonstrating drought resilient farming practices at over 300 demonstration sites, covering up to 23 million hectares, and directly involving over 1,100 farmers.
• The Future Drought Fund is a long term sustained investment of $100 million each year in programs and initiatives to build drought resilience.

Funding RecipientProjectProject FundingAgricultural Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula IncorporatedBuilding drought resilience by scaling out farming practices that will enhance the productive capacity of sandy soil landscapes$995,000Mallee Sustainable Farming Inc.Building resilience to drought with landscape scale remediation of saline land$856,000Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationImproving sowing opportunities for increased farm resilience in a changing climate.$987,757The Trustee for Wetland Revival TrustBoosting drought resilience in the Lower Loddon Landscape- If you look after nature, nature can look after you$999,920Mallee Catchment Management AuthorityBuilding drought resilience of vulnerable soils in low rainfall cropping and grazing systems$875,000