Winter Organic Insights 2022

Organic Insights / Winter 2022 / 25

NEWS WRAP UP

Dylan de Jonge / Unsplash

Credit / The Flourish Photography

NGERINGA ‘BEST IN SHOW’ AT ORGANIC WINE AWARDS NCO certified biodynamic vineyard Ngeringa scooped the pool at the recent Australian Organic Wine Awards! Ngeringa’s Single Vineyard Iluma Syrah 2019 won the Cullen Trophy Wine of Show and Red Wine of Show Trophy, ahead of some 239 other wines submitted from across Australia. The Ngeringa Single Vineyard Summit Chardonnay 2018 and the Ngeringa Pinot Noir 2020 were also recognised in the Awards, winning Gold in their respective categories. Congratulations to owners Erinn and Janet Klein! Further Information ngeringa.com

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES DROUGHT RESILIENCE FUNDING The former Federal Liberal Government announced $23 million in grants for 26 projects under the Drought Resilience Soil and Landscape program, part of the $5 billion Future Drought Fund. The grants fund projects will trial and demonstrate the adoption of practices that assist drought recovery and resilience. The programwill support farming communities, NRM regional bodies, local Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hubs, farming system groups, and Landcare groups, among others, to demonstrate land management practices that improve the drought resilience of agricultural production. Organic farms are the exemplar for landscape practices that seek to promote resilience, particularly in the face of a changing climate. We encourage operators, particularly in rangeland and dryland areas, to keep an eye out for research outcomes from the project – covering cropping and livestock management, and some horticulture. All of the 26 funded projects are described in detail here.

FARMERS SET TO BENEFIT UNDER INDIA FTA The Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (AI-CECA) interim agreement signed in April this year will present new opportunities for exporters, with tariffs immediately eliminated on 85% of Australian exports to India, rising to 91 per cent over the next 10 years. Sheep and wool are set to benefit immediately, horticultural producers will see tariffs drop to zero over the next 7 years for a range of products, and wine tariffs will reduce from current.