November 07, 2012
Māori projects line up for Sustainable Farming Fund
The Ministry for Primary Industries’ first Sustainable Farming Fund for Māori has been oversubscribed, with almost $2.8 million committed to 14 projects.
Māori deputy director Ben Dalton says while scheme which co-funds small to medium-scale applied research and extension projects has been around for a while, in the past there has been limited Maori interest.
This year $1 million was set aside for Maori, but it wasn't enough given the quality of entries.
"What we'd prefer is that now people know the sustainable farming fund is available, they just apply through the general fund. Everyone had to go through exactly the same criteria as if they had gone through the normal round, so the whole issue is Māori farming should be at the same level as general agriculture anyway," Mr Dalton says.
The projects funded include aquaculture, dairy, honey, horticulture, forestry, land development, sheep and beef and developing human capital.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd