Hort360
Best Management Practices program launched today
Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said the Queensland Government was supporting the roll-out of Best Management Practice programs to promote sustainable land management practices across several primary industry sectors.
“Growcom’s BMP program for production horticulture, known as Hort360, is being conducted in collaboration with the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection,” Dr Miles said.
Hort360 is a step by step, facilitated risk assessment tool designed to give growers a 360 degree view of their farm business operations, identifying potential risks, capitalising on business opportunities and highlighting unnecessary farm expenses.
Growcom Chief Advocate Rachel Mackenzie said that the first module of Hort360 released today was designed to help growers to adopt Best Management Practice elements that protect land from erosion and subsequent sediment and fertiliser run-off from farmland by wind and water and manage farm inputs to ensure their efficient use by the crop and without residual fertiliser and pesticide run-off to waterways.
Ms Mackenzie said that the development of Hort360 was based on many years of extension work with growers throughout Queensland through Growcom’s involvement in the Water for Profit, Rural Water Use Efficiency Initiatives and the Reef Rescue programs.
Modules to be released under the Hort360 program over coming months will include: irrigation, energy, workplace safety, industrial relations and water quality.
For more information:
Rachel Mackenzie
Growcom
Tel: +61 07 3620 3844
or +61 0408 796 199
www.growcom.com.au