Sustainable Farming Fund to be continued

The highly-successful Sustainable Farming Fund will continue, Rural Affairs Minister Jim Sutton said today.

He told the Farm Forestry Association annual meeting in Wellington this evening that next month's Budget would contain an allocation of $10.6 million a year for the next three years to continue the work of the Sustainable Farming Fund.

"This fund was established by the Labour-led Government in 2000, in fulfillment of an election promise. I said at the time it was the most important measure announced for farming and rural communities in that year's Budget. The results have borne that out."

Mr Sutton said the extra funding would ensure the fund's survival.

"This fund has proved its worth. There have been some exciting results and there are many more to come."

The Sustainable Farming Fund allocates grants to community-supported projects that improve the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of rural communities.

Currently, 184 projects have been funded. They cover areas such as arable; beekeeping; decision, management, and learning; forestry; horticulture; land development opportunities; organics; pastoral farming; and water resources and irrigation.

Information on the Sustainable Farming Fund and grants that have been made can be found at www.maf.govt.nz/sff/index.htm.

Advertisements about the new Sustainable Farming Fund rounds are to appear in newspapers from tomorrow.

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