Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub

Central Highlands Growers and Producers Hub

Vic Drought Hub - Farmland 1
  • Federation University
  • Economic

The goal of this project is to assist in identifying the support and training needs for Central Highlands growers and producers and other related businesses. The research will also investigate how enterprises can grow and expand, as well as how Commerce Ballarat can provide advocacy and industry development opportunities to this sector.

PROJECT PARTNER

Federation University (Vic Hub’s Digital Platform partner), Commerce Ballarat

PROJECT TERM

April 2024 – August 2024

 

Project overview

CeRDI is conducting research which has been funded by the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub and Commerce Ballarat to better understand access to markets and infrastructure, and identify barriers and opportunities to business growth. The project focuses on artisan and small-scale growers, producer and/or associated retailer/businesses across the Central Highlands.

The project was designed by CeRDI’s Professor Helen Thompson, Jude Channon, Dr Alison Ollerenshaw and Jennifer Corbett, with information collected via an online survey that has been circulated widely across the region. Extended research activities, comprising interviews, are now being planned.

It is anticipated that this research will provide a comprehensive understanding the support that growers and producers across the region would benefit from to improve knowledge sharing, networking, business development and sector growth. This will provide Commerce Ballarat with insights that will assist them to identify opportunities to support the small-scale agriculture sector, provide advocacy, and deliver industry events for ongoing development across the sector and the region.