A-peeling grant backs prawn farmers to go digital

With Australia’s prawn farming industry projected to grow over the next five years, the Queensland Government has granted the Australian Prawn Farmers Association (APFA) $200,000 to help accelerate the adoption of digital systems on Queensland prawn farms.

APFA Executive Officer Kim Hooper said the grant will help transform the industry to be more resilient and sustainable by building a Prawn Skills Digital Training Hub.

“The Prawn Skills Digital Training Hub will provide education and training material free to the industry so that farmers can meet the increased demand for their product, increase their profitability and environmental sustainability.”

The project will be managed in conjunction with Central Queensland University and supported by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation on behalf of the Australian Government.

Mark Furner, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, said the grants were established under Queensland’s Economic Recovery plan. He said a total of $5.5 million is being invested over three years through the Digital Transformation in Agribusiness Initiative.

“This funding, as part of our COVID-19 economic recovery strategy, will support agribusinesses to become digitally aware and ready to respond to future disruptions,” he said.

“Digital technology creates new ways of doing things that add value to the agricultural sector by working more precisely, efficiently and sustainably.”

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