Grains BMP
What is Grains BMP?
The grains best management practice (BMP) program is a voluntary, industry led self-assessment system which helps broadacre grain growers identify practices to help improve the long term profitability of their enterprise. It also helps identity steps grain growers need to take to develop, prioritise and implement action plans to integrate best management practices into their enterprise. In time the information collected from growers will allow the grains industry to demonstrate good environmental management to the wider community.
Since 2005 AgForce has been part of a collaborative partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Fitzroy Basin Association to develop the Grains BMP system for northern broadacre cropping enterprises. Resources from the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust, Caring for our Country Reef Rescue initiative, Queensland Government and Fitzroy Basin Association have helped to develop and roll out Grains BMP.
How can grain growers get involved?
Step 1:
Grains BMP participants will answer management and farm practice questions in six self-assessment modules on the topics of:
Step 2:
Participants then develop action plans for each of the six core areas to help them identify the steps they need to take to lift the bar in their own enterprise, whether new management techniques or approaches are needed and the priority these should be given to meet BMP benchmarks.
Group workshops on the six core areas are often arranged to enable grain growers to hear from other growers and industry experts, analyse different practices and get outside ideas to incorporate into their action plans.
Step 3:
Any government funding opportunities available to help growers implement improved practices are investigated. An example is the water quality grants from the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country Reef Rescue initiative, which were delivered through the Fitzroy Basin Association.
Step 4:
Approximately 12 months after completing their self-assessment modules, participants can meet again to look at which actions have been completed and which will be carried forward, along with a review of priority actions for the next twelve months.
Interested in Grains BMP?
Visit the Grains BMP website for more information.
The grains best management practice (BMP) program is a voluntary, industry led self-assessment system which helps broadacre grain growers identify practices to help improve the long term profitability of their enterprise. It also helps identity steps grain growers need to take to develop, prioritise and implement action plans to integrate best management practices into their enterprise. In time the information collected from growers will allow the grains industry to demonstrate good environmental management to the wider community.
Since 2005 AgForce has been part of a collaborative partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Fitzroy Basin Association to develop the Grains BMP system for northern broadacre cropping enterprises. Resources from the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust, Caring for our Country Reef Rescue initiative, Queensland Government and Fitzroy Basin Association have helped to develop and roll out Grains BMP.
How can grain growers get involved?
Step 1:
Grains BMP participants will answer management and farm practice questions in six self-assessment modules on the topics of:
- pesticide application
- property design and layout
- rainfall management
- integrated pest management
- managing climate variability; and
- soil fertility/crop nutrition management.
Step 2:
Participants then develop action plans for each of the six core areas to help them identify the steps they need to take to lift the bar in their own enterprise, whether new management techniques or approaches are needed and the priority these should be given to meet BMP benchmarks.
Group workshops on the six core areas are often arranged to enable grain growers to hear from other growers and industry experts, analyse different practices and get outside ideas to incorporate into their action plans.
Step 3:
Any government funding opportunities available to help growers implement improved practices are investigated. An example is the water quality grants from the Australian Government’s Caring for Our Country Reef Rescue initiative, which were delivered through the Fitzroy Basin Association.
Step 4:
Approximately 12 months after completing their self-assessment modules, participants can meet again to look at which actions have been completed and which will be carried forward, along with a review of priority actions for the next twelve months.
Interested in Grains BMP?
Visit the Grains BMP website for more information.