The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, is thrilled that young farmers across the Sunraysia region will have the opportunity to thrive and expand in the agriculture sector with the launch of the 2024 Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarship Program.
Ms Benham said she was thrilled to see such immediate results after her tireless advocating for the Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence, to visit Mildura.
“I’ve been advocating for the Minister to come to Mildura and see first-hand just how innovative and vital the agriculture industry is in Sunraysia,” Ms Benham said.
“I grabbed the opportunity with both hands to showcase and highlight to the Minister some of the absolute powerhouse agriculture businesses we have in Mildura, including in-depth tours of Sunbeam Food and Mildura Fruit Company,” Ms Benham said.
“By doing this, it gave her a chance to see up close and personal the process how the produce often grows in Mildura soil, gets picked and packed by Mildura hands in a Mildura factory before being shipped all around the globe.
“The Minister definitely got to see why Mildura is called Australia’s ‘food bowl’, and how absolutely vital the agriculture industry is in general.
“To see this kind of investment now being made in the next generation of farmers is really wonderful.”
Successful applicants can receive training to build their knowledge and expertise in areas including irrigation, agronomy, conservation and land management, with scholarships of up to $10,000 on offer.
Applications are open to farmers aged between 18 and 35 who have been working in farm businesses at least three days a week for the past three months, with at least two years total experience on-farm.
Applications will close on 17 June. To learn more about the program and to apply for a scholarship, visit vic.gov.au/youngfarmers.