Aussie farmers learn about the benefits of going fully electric from New Zealand cherry producer
Renowned cherry farmer Mike Casey has discussed the benefits of going fully electric with other growers and producers at the Farmers for Climate conference in Canberra.
Mike Casey who is the chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa runs the world’s first fully electric cherry farm in New Zealand.
Casey shared his insights with farmers about what he’s gained from going fully electric, which involved investing in solar and battery, electric tractors and electric frost fans, saving tens of thousands annually.
“Replacing our diesel machines with electric ones certainly wasn’t cheap. The upfront costs were significant, but it made economic sense because we’d save more money in the long run,” Mike Casey said.
The forward thinking farmer said any help people could get to make the switch was a step in the right direction.
“New Zealand is obviously different to Australia in many ways but I would say any help to make it easier for farmers to harness renewables is a good thing,” he said.
It comes as the Federal Government announced a $1 billion boost to the Regional Investment Corporation’s loan funding capacity.
The money can be burrowed by farmers facing difficulty, including drought-affected producers, to improve the resilience and profitability of their farms.
The Federal Government also announced it was expanding the Regional Investment Corporation’s scope to help farmers improve their climate resilience, and ensuring the agriculture sector was a part of Australia’s transition to net zero.
Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said the broadening of the scope would allow farmers to invest in electric technology being harnessed by farmers like Mike Casey.
“Farmers have a lot to gain by harnessing renewable energy. By switching to electric, they can slash fuel bills, and reduce running costs by generating and storing their own power,” Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said.
“We welcome the expansion of the RIC loans to include climate resilience. It will help farmers learning from experts like Mike Casey take that real-world knowledge back to their own farms, and save money and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time,” he said.
Media contact: Kathleen Ferguson - 0421 522 080
