Another application round for successful fund

Another round of applications for grants from the highly successful Sustainable Farming Fund has opened, Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton said today.

Mr Sutton said the closing date for initial expressions of interest was 1 February next year, for projects starting on or after July 1 next year. He said $9.5 million was available to allocate to projects, which could be supported for one, two, or three years.

“This is an extremely popular scheme, which is helping many rural communities to add value to their lives. Projects must be community-driven, and must improve the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of those communities.”

Mr Sutton said that 117 projects had been funded from the first two allocation rounds of the fund. Those projects ranged from $2,500 in funding assistance to $425,000, with an average size grant being $116,000.

“Projects are well distributed through the country and throughout the
land-based productive sectors.”

The first Sustainable Farming Fund project to be completed was one in Opotiki, in the Bay of Plenty, where a Maori Land Use Kit was developed to help local landowners use their land more profitably. That project was so successful and so well received that the project team has now received another grant to develop a national version of the kit.

“This sort of project is exactly the sort of local capability-building and regional development programme that the Labour-Alliance Government supports. This Government is hands-on, working to develop smart, active communities.”

Information brochures and application forms can be obtained by: downloading from www.maf.govt.nz/sff, or emailing a request to sffund@maf.govt.nz, or by a
phone request to 0800-100-087. Applications can also be mailed out on request to: Sustainable Farming Fund, MAF, PO Box 2526, Wellington.

Funding allocations for the latest round will be made by an independent panel early next year.