The Plan2Farm program has been extended and now includes the Irrigation Farm Business Plan workbook and podcast. This workbook is a modification of the original Plan2Farm workbook providing a practical guide to assist farmers in developing their long-term business and personal goals.
The Plan will help you and those involved in your business make more informed decisions about your farming business to improve your business resilience.
We encourage you to listen to this podcast explaining what to expect when completing the Irrigation Farm Business Plan.
An Irrigation Health Check is included as a part of the Irrigation Farm Business Plan and assists farmers with determining the efficiency of their on-farm irrigation systems and exposure to the water market.
The purpose of the podcast is for farmers who have not been involved in Plan2Farm and want to know if the Irrigation Farm Business Plan is suitable for their situation.
You can find the new Irrigation Farm Business Plan at Agriculture | North Central Catchment Management Authority (nccma.vic.gov.au)
2 comments, add yours.
Albano Leite
Dear Manager/Director
I am Mozambican, interested to start doing agriculture business to produce organic sugarcane, as out grower and sell to the company in the are close to my 200 ha, whose the mill is around 5 Km from my farm. The water is available, Zambezi river, the third mayor river of Africa, and is just 3 Km from the farm. I am Irrigation Engineer, BSc Agriculture/ Maputo, Mozambique, MEng. Hydraulic -Land and Water Development from Delft, Netherlands and short courses in Southampton University. I am retired from Government. Ministry of Agriculture/Irrigation Department, where I was doing planning of small holder irrigation farmers and time to time working as individual consultant for FAO projects and World bank projects and some privates farmers, mostly gravity systems and few with with sprinklers systems, diverting water from small perennial river by doing weir, open canal and furrows. So, after 35 year of experience is coming now a new irrigation technology, Centre Pivot Irrigation System and Drip irrigation system, that I am interested to develop for my farm and also to provide technical design to private farms that are growing in Mozambique. II would like to have material, text book or technical brochure so that I can follow and design the centre pivot for my farm to grow sugarcane and drip irrigation for vegetables in small are of 3 ha. I am now entering in 62 years old, and I still fill well to work as fully private farm and consultant. First, I have to prepare the Business Plan to present to financial institution, so that I can have funds to start. Could your organization provide me material to this big chalenge, starting from Busines Plan?
Best regards
Albano Leite
Timothy Robinson
AuthorHello Albano,
You have had a very extensive career in the irrigation industry.
Centre Pivot and Drip irrigation system technology has been well established in Australia for some time. There is lots of information available to assist with design and management of these systems. We do not provide irrigation design services however the links below have lots of valuable information on irrigation that I hope can assist you.
ExtensionAUS Irrigating Agriculture community of practice: https://extensionaus.com.au/irrigatingag/home
Agriculture Victoria Irrigation resources: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/water/irrigation
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/water/irrigation
For the Business Plan I am of less assistance however the following links may have some valuable information in that area.
Plan2Farm irrigation farm business plan: http://www.nccma.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/irrigation_farm_business_plan_plan2farm_workbook.pdf
Young Farmers Business Network: https://extensionaus.com.au/youngfarmersnetwork/home
Best Regards,
Tim Robinson
Irrigating Agriculture Community of Practice