Farm Enterprise Strategic Planning Initiative

What we do

Rural Financial Counselling Services are:

Free, independent and confidential
Staffed by qualified and experienced Rural Financial Counsellors (RFCs) who understand farming and business – our RFCs are required to have a Diploma of Financial Counselling as minimum qualification, and have years of experience in assisting farming businesses
For primary producers of livestock, milk, honey, fruit, crops, wool, meat, vegetables, eggs, fish, plants, trees and logs
For small businesses who mainly support primary production such as: fencing, shearing sheep, controlling weeds or agricultural pests, managing stock, planting crops etc.
Able to assist farm or small agribusinesses experiencing or at risk of financial hardship
Able to come to your place of business or you can come and see us.

Assistance when

Rural Financial Counselling Services can assist businesses affected by:

Drought/water issues
Low commodity prices
Natural disasters
Structural adjustment
Industry downturns
Low equity/tight cash flow
Difficulties with lenders or access to finance
Unpaid creditors/debtors
Market disruptions
Changes in personal circumstances
Farm accidents or illness
Share farming/succession agreements/ contracts.

How can we help you

Rural Financial Counselling Services can help you:

Understand your financial position and the viability of your enterprise
Identify options to improve your financial position
Develop a plan to implement your chosen options, and implement that plan
Provide information, referrals, and support to access, government or industry grants and programs
Assist you to deal (whether through meetings or otherwise) with lending institutions in relation to:
- Applications and contracts with those institutions; and
- Processes relating to farm debt mediation
Assist you to identify the need for advice from professional service providers, and provide support with preparation for meetings with professional service providers.

News

NE Regional Soil Health Conference

NECMA conference

North East Regional Soil Health Conference - 14 May 2021 at Beechworth is for ALL land managers, agriculture industry groups and soil health service providers in North East Victoria.
Read more ...

Farm Finance getting prepared 2021 Webinar

Farm Finance

The team at the Young Farmer Business Network have put together a series of sessions designed to build skills in financial planning and business resilience for your farm business.
Read more ...

Details: Published: 21 December 2016; Last Updated: 21 February 2017

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In reponse to reduced irrigation water availability there has been a drive to improve the efficiency of use of irrigation water through the Farm Enterprise Strategic Planning Initiative, (previously known as Plan2Farm).

The Victorian Government recently announced that it "...is providing $1.6 million to support the delivery of the Farm Enterprise Strategic Planning initiative.

Landholders in the Goulburn Murray district of northern Victoria are experiencing rapid and large scale change to their agricultural, environmental, technological and market conditions.

A reduction in available water, irrigation modernisation and changes in the agriculture industry mean that landholders need to be able to make well-informed, strategic and holistic decisions for long-term effective and sustainable operation.

This initiative provides support for farming families to access expert advice and undertake strategic planning to map out clear directions for their operations within this changing environment. Independent and confidential planning advice in one-on-one sessions or group settings will help families develop a whole of farm enterprise strategic plan integrating multiple property management decisions.

The initiative forms part of the Government's commitment to supporting liveable and resilient communities as identified in Water for Victoria.

Well-informed farmers with longer-term outlooks and strategic plans, support a more resilient and profitable agricultural industry.

The Farm Enterprise Strategic Planning initiative will help farmers:

Consider the long-term outlook for their farming enterprise, identify key risks and opportunities, work out their goals, and think about who will be involved in their business going forward into the future.
Understand the operating environment they are working within, specifically irrigation modernisation and what irrigation connection option would best suits their identified future business needs
Make more informed, holistic and beneficial decisions across all aspects of their farming enterprise
Protect and enhance environmental assets on their properties and minimise the potential off site impacts. ..."

The initiative is being administered by;