The Minns Labor Government is delivering on its commitment to modernise and grow the state’s agricultural industries by supporting a $105.5 million investment in fourteen innovative projects to help boost local jobs, regional economies and increase productivity across the agriculture sector.
The NSW Government is investing $28 million through the Agriculture Industries Innovation and Growth Program while the funding recipients will contribute $77.5 million, bringing the total investment to over $100 million.
The co-investment model multiplies the impact of government funding, attracting significant private capital into regional economies. It will enable businesses to access more export opportunities to stay competitive, driving wider flow-on benefits for local businesses and regional communities.
The funding will enable businesses to adopt new technology and upgrade equipment to support more efficient and sustainable production.
Over 2024-25 the state’s primary industries reached a record $25.5 billion Gross Value of Production, demonstrating a strong and productive sector that is critical to the NSW economy.
The Minns Labor Government is continuing to back the agriculture sector with investments including $100 million in funding for research over the past year and more than $1 billion in biosecurity systems to help producers protect their businesses and keep improving.
Funding recipients of the Agriculture Industries Innovation and Growth Program include:
- $500,000 for Hortifutura Co Pty Ltd, Cessnock – to transform waste into renewable energy, heat, carbon dioxide fertiliser and recycled water to support NSW’s first high-tech, certified organic propagation nursery with commercial grafting capacity.
- $4 million for AgConnex, Griffith – to upgrade its rail loading, storage, and processing capability at the Western Riverina Connect rail siding outside of Griffith. The project will unlock new opportunities in the plant protein sector and allow greater access to domestic and export markets.
- $2.1 million for Provenance Propagation, Grafton – to increase its controlled-environment propagation growing area by 1.38 hectares, incorporating state-of-the-art automation and advanced production systems. Horticultural growers around Australia will benefit from more reliable access to high-quality seedlings as well as creating skilled jobs in agricultural manufacturing and automation.
- $2 million for Freeman Vineyards, Young – to build NSW’s first dealcoholisation facility enabling end-to-end production of non-alcoholic wine in regional NSW. The new facility will strengthen regional manufacturing and reduce the need for winemakers to transport produce interstate to have alcohol removed.
- $2 million for Yieldtech Enterprises Pty Ltd, Coffs Harbour – to support the establishment of a regional manufacturing facility in Coffs Harbour that converts Australian-grown hemp by-products into prefabricated building materials for the construction sector, supporting regional jobs and sustainable building practices.
- $1.4 million for AWH Pty Ltd, Goulburn – to establish the Goulburn Wool Auction Innovation Hub, a first-of-kind, fully digital wool auction and handling facility which will shift a core component of Australia’s wool auction system from metropolitan-centred infrastructure toward a decentralised regional model. The hub will better align auctions with wool production areas, improve supply-chain efficiency and provide a scalable model for industry.
A key focus of this program is to enable regional industries to grow and adapt to environmental and geopolitical change.
More than $220 million from the NSW Government’s Regional Development Trust Fund is currently being delivered through programs and projects that provide strategic and sustainable investment where it is needed to support regional and rural industries, businesses and communities grow.
These investments are part of the Government’s commitment to continue growing the agricultural sector through the adoption of new technology to drive productivity and economic opportunity.
For more information, go to: nsw.gov.au/aiigp
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
“Agriculture is one of the most important industries for our state. The sector contributes billions of dollars to our economy, underpins thousands of jobs in regional communities and puts food on our tables.
“This funding is about backing innovation and businesses like Hortifutura to help farmers modernise their operations, stay competitive and continue to grow.
“This co-investment model unlocks enormous potential for our state’s primary industries, driving private investment in projects that advance the sector and deliver real benefits for regional communities across New South Wales.”
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:
“Investing in agriculture means investing in the strength of our regional communities.
“When farming businesses do well, the whole community benefits – from local shops to transport operators and service providers.
“Supporting this and the other 13 projects announced today helps create local jobs, strengthen supply chains and set our regional industries up for sustained economic growth.
“This is about the NSW Government investing in regional NSW and our ag sector through an open and transparent process, something that hasn’t happened for many years.”
Member for Cessnock Clayton Barr said:
“This funding will help Hortifutura expand a unique operation that turns waste into valuable resources while supporting a high-tech organic nursery.
“It’s a practical investment that benefits local businesses, growers, and the broader agricultural sector.
“Hortifutura’s innovation showcases our region’s reputation as a leader in agriculture.”
Owner of Hortifutura Ben Smider said:
“This funding is a huge step for us. It means we can take what we’ve already built and lift it to a world-class standard, reducing our reliance on external energy sources and feeding clean power back into the grid.
“It also means we can expand our capacity to grow advanced certified organic grafted vegetable seedlings for other growers.
“There is a real shortage of that capability in NSW, and it is holding back organic greenhouse growers.”
