Sugarcane farmers from the Mackay Whitsunday growing regions will benefit from a new data and farm productivity platform that has been built specifically for the Queensland sugar and horticultural industries.
The LAND HUB Project is being rolled out by the Mackay Whitsunday Water Quality Program, funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
The project builds on the significant efforts of local farmers and the agricultural community to make water quality improvements on the Great Barrier Reef, and focuses on improving the quality of water flowing from the Pioneer and Plane Creek catchments to the Reef by reducing the a mount of dissolved inorganic nitrogen.
The LAND HUB platform was built by north Queensland-based company LiquaForce in an effort to make it easier for growers to access and store their farm data, improve their management decisions around inputs and farm productivity, clearly calculate what nutrients should be applied to the crop, and record production outputs.
Cameron Liddle from LAND HUB said the Project funding covers professional agronomic support, aerial surveying, soil testing, data mapping, nutrient management plans, and straight forward access to information needed to support solid farming decisions for productivity improvements.
“Importantly, LAND is a tool that meets all regulatory requirements for Farm Nutrient Management Plans and actually builds the Plan for you based on the Six Easy Steps, or your industry BMP that is tailored to your region, your farm, your paddock and your soil,” Mr Liddle said.
“We’re really excited to make this management platform available to growers in the Mackay Whitsunday region and track the benefits of utilising LAND HUB through this project,” he said.
“LAND HUB was built off the back off a core belief that sustainable coastal farming is absolutely possible with the right tools in the hands of growers, and we’re confident this platform will continue to support their efforts to help reach targets set out by the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.”
The LAND HUB Project will be run over four years and is open to up to 30 sugarcane producers in the catchment.
Growers interested in taking part in the Project are encouraged to visit landhub.com.au or call Don McNichol on 0429 540 066 or Don Pollock on 0428 289 294.
For additional information / media enquiries:
Cameron Liddle (LAND HUB): 0409 431 943 / Sara Bennett (LAND HUB): 0404 467 586