|
Home
Facilitating Change Press Releases |
|
Facilitating Change Program Press Release ~ 6 August 1999 |
|
Over 200 farming families attend Loddon Murray Business Planning Information Days
Sam Milano and his brother Angelo, farm 350 acres at Beverford, near Swan Hill. They aim to expand their existing rockmelon enterprise with varieties of apples and stonefruits. Sam is very keen on the future for horticulture in the area. Together with Angelo, and their sons Paul and Arch, they are currently setting up for summer crops. The Milano brothers attended one of the Loddon Murray 2000 plus Business Information Days in Swan Hill, earlier this year. To assist them in achieving their business goal, Sam says he and Angelo will work with accountant Gino Salvo to develop a business plan in the next two months, making use of the business planning incentive available from Loddon Murray 2000 plus. Sam says, "the Business Information Day was very interesting, it opened my eyes to opportunities." "When we purchased the 350 acre property six years ago it was all bare land. Now we grow melons under trickle irrigation on 150 acres and have 200 acres of bare land to develop. We have a 340 megalitre water right and a 20 megalitre stock and domestic allocation. "Last year we planted 3,600 apple trees comprising three different varieties Pink Lady, Galaxy and Sundowner. We will put in another 3,000 trees this year," says Sam. "We intend to open up more land and also plant about 50-60 acres of stone fruit, including early peaches and nectarines and late plums. We have started putting irrigation pipes into 50 acres this year." Sam says, "melons were not good this year, we got six inches of rain in November and February, which probably cost us $60,000. Eighty per cent of our melons go to Chain Store supermarkets in Melbourne and Sydney. We have been approached to export, but will need to enlarge our packing shed and coolrooms." "We know we can move into stonefruit and spread the workload. We start picking melons in January. The early stonefruit varieties will be finished by January and the late plums will be ready after the melons have finished. "We need a business plan to guide our development over the next few years. Our motto is if you are going to do it, do it right. We know we can improve a lot more," says Sam. Rod Power, Facilitating Change Coordinator with Loddon Murray 2000 plus, says, " the response to the Business Planning Information Days has been fantastic. The next wave of Information sessions, which run from 9.30 am - 2.30 pm, is booked out until the end of August." "We are now taking bookings for early September," Rod says. For information, phone Loddon Murray 2000 plus on (03) 5450 9547 or (03) 5450 9560 
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
Design and Production by
Talkin' Technical Communications |
Updated: December, 1999
Contact LM2000 plus: Kelly.McKnight@nre.vic.gov.au |