Queensland Government supports family farms with latest round of RED Grants

26 September 2024

Queensland Government supports family farms with latest round of RED Grants

• 20 Ag businesses receive $3.7 million in Round 6 of Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants.

• 118 good, secure jobs created for Queenslanders as a direct result of Round 6 grants.

• Expressions of Interest for Round 7 are now open.

Twenty Queensland agribusinesses have benefitted from the latest round of the Queensland Government’s popular Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants, with Expressions of Interest for the next round now open.

The successful Round 6 applicants have received a total of $3.7 million, creating 118 good, secure jobs that will support communities right across rural and regional Queensland.

Each RED Grant recipient received up to $200,000 to complete a diverse range of shovel-ready projects such as the construction of greenhouses, glasshouses, fruit packing facilities and seafood processing areas.

The RED Grants program has provided a total of $20 million in funding over six years, supporting 100 successful regional agribusiness projects worth more than $65.4 million.

It’s estimated the program has created more than 3,000 new direct and indirect jobs.

Expressions of interest for Round 7 of RED Grants is now open with applications closing on 22 November 2024.

Round 7 will include a focus on supporting Indigenous-owned agribusinesses and projects that support low-emissions agriculture.

For more information visit QRIDA's Rural Economic Development Grant webpage.

Successful Round 6 RED Grant recipient Danielle Marcon of Marcon Family Farms said, “We were over the moon to find out our application for a Rural Economic Development Grant had been successful, as we knew it was such a huge deal.

“We’ve never applied for anything like this before, so we were very excited to be successful as first-time applicants.

“The grant allows us to expand our greenhouse operations in Bundaberg. We currently have three greenhouses and one glasshouse and with the funding, we will be adding one more greenhouse to our family farm.

“Once completed, it will create 8-10 full time equivalent jobs, on top of employing local trades companies during the construction of the greenhouse, which will bring outsiders to the region.

“The expansion will help us meet the growing demand for our premium fresh produce from consumers all over Australia, she said.”

The successful round six recipients include:

• Agtronics (Goondiwindi) – purchase of robotic welding cells to increase production of agriculture spot-spraying equipment

• Ced Wise AB Services (Southern Downs) - purpose-built accommodation for employees and students to deliver advanced bovine reproductive services

• CL Macs (Gympie) - establishing Macadamia roasting, coating & manufacturing facility.

• Cobalt Extreme Trust (Moreton Bay) – recycle single use Low Density Polyethylene Pipe plastic used in agriculture industry and convert into granulates as feedstock for the production of new irrigation components.

• Deane Farms (Burdekin) – upgrading of mango packing line and diversification to handle other crops.

• Kenrose Co (Burdekin) – specialised grading and packing equipment for citrus 

• Limit Farming (Lockyer Valley) – semi mechanised cabbage processing system.

• Macintyre Meats (Goondiwindi) – expand processing capacity of quality goat meat and sheep products

• Maragi (Lockyer Valley) – fit-out of summer production shed for ginger and sweet corn crops.

• Marcon Family Friends (Bundaberg) – greenhouse hydroponics expansion to meet the growing demand for fresh produce including eggplant

• Mackays (Cassowary Coast) – construction of a propagation facility for banana and other planting materials. 

• Mainstream Aquaculture QLD (Cassowary Coast) – develop a more efficient zero discharge smart pond for Barramundi farming

• Mutchilba Valley Pty Ltd (Mareeba) - new fruit packing facility which will double daily pack out capacity for mango and avocado crop, as well as contract pack opportunity for local growers including citrus crops 

• I & L Rizatto and Sons (Southern Downs) – purchase of a high-speed robotic apple packer for premium presentation and packaging

• RJN Cua Vineyards (North Burnett) – construction of cool room and dispatch centre for premium table grapes 

• Rock Ridge Farming (Tablelands) – banana plantation expansion.

• Sunnyspot Packhouse (Toowoomba) – avocado carton manufacturing facility

• Tankwa Holdings T/A Widem Farming (Mareeba) – de-greening facility for citrus including lemons, limes and grapefruit. 

• Websters Select Timbers (Blackall-Tambo) – upgrades to Tambo sawmill for cypress timber and products

• Western Downs Seafoods (Western Downs) – construction of processing and packing facility for increased production of premium Murray cod.

The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administers the RED Grant scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.