A new project to connect indigenous enterprise owners with horticulture skills has been funded as part of a $4-million grant to create job opportunities in northern Australia.
The project will connect two Aboriginal corporations with the knowledge, skills and capacity required to develop horticulture production businesses. Project participants will work within the realms of value chains, agronomy, business and marketing to develop a sustainable business model.
The two groups involved in the project, the Mungulla Aboriginal Business Corporation and Gudjuda Reference Group Aboriginal Corporation, will be lead by staff from Growcom, which won $203,600 as part of the job creation strategy.
Commercial horticulture operations will be based at Mungulla Station near Ingham, and Gudjuda at Home Hill. Both sites will be planted with a mix of commercial vegetables and native plants with the project aiming to increase production levels as the skills and capacity of group members increases.
It is hoped that enterprise growth will drive more employment and training opportunities for indigenous communities in the region.