Changes to the FarmReady Reimbursement grants program

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig, has recently announced the expansion of the FarmReady program to include agritourism and food tourism training. A co-contribution from primary producers will also be introduced to provide more opportunities to access the program within the program budget and to encourage producers to invest in their own training.

Agritourism and Food Tourism

The Australian Government is making the successful FarmReady Reimbursement Grants Program accessible to primary producers and Indigenous land managers who wish to undertake training in agritourism and food tourism. Supporting training in agritourism and food tourism will build knowledge and create benefits for primary producers and their communities.

Agritourism and food tourism management - its marketing, customer relations, product development and coordination has been added as a new key learning area. Training providers are encouraged to register any relevant courses with FarmReady as soon as they are able.

65 per cent reimbursement

When FarmReady Reimbursement Grants reopens on 1 July 2011 primary producers and wild game harvesters will be reimbursed 65 per cent of their training course costs, up to $1500 per financial year. Primary producers and wild game harvesters will be required to contribute the remaining 35 per cent to the cost of the approved course costs. This requirement does not apply to Indigenous land managers.

Individuals will still be able to access up to $1500 per year for eligible training courses and the contribution by farmers will:

• encourage primary producers to invest in their own training
• make the available funding last longer and
• give an opportunity for more primary producers to access funding.

To assist people from more remote areas the additional funding of up to $500 per financial year is still available for associated reasonable travel, accommodation and childcare expenses.

Please see the media release ( www.maff.gov.au/media_office/media_releases/media_releases/2011/june/farmready-grants ) for more information or please call the FarmReady Program Administrator on 1800 087 670 or email admin@farmready.gov.au .

And a few reminders:

• We can only accept forms from individual participants or their employer. Application Forms and Claim Forms received from Training Providers will not be processed

• Training group sizes must be 15 or less. If you want to hold training with larger groups, you must seek prior approval

Once FarmReady re-opens to new applications, we will be processing all received Application Forms in course date priority order to ensure participants receive their notifications in a timely manner.