"Water for Profit" Project for Profitable Farming

The Tasmanian Government has set aside $1.5 million for the Water for Profit program in an effort to take advantage of the irrigation schemes being rolled out in the state

More than $100 million has been set aside for five new irrigation schemes, and the four-year program will teach farmers how to get the most out of the schemes.

Associate Professor Rohan Nelson from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture said a big part of the project will be peer to peer information from farmers.

"There is so much we can learn from farmers because agriculture is such a micro niche environment and we're trying to build on that expertise that's already there," he said.

"One of the ways researchers can do that is just simply to help organise the knowledge that farmers already have.

"Another area of the program will look at exploring potential new crop options for farmers and will analyse their management practises.

"What is our potential productivity here, can we set new standards if we change technology, can we transfer knowledge from one area to another?

"Soils are the engine of agriculture and productivity, and we need to understand the hydrology of soils including stored moisture and nutrients.

"In the long term it would be fabulous for Tasmania to be a world leader in cool climate irrigation technologies and irrigation farming."

Source: ABC

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• Agriculture
• Irrigation
• Governance & Planning