The New South Wales Government is sponsoring a trial soil carbon trading scheme in the Lachlan Valley.

 

Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson said the trial will be piloted on agricultural land in the Canowindra, Cudal and Manildra areas for up to five years.

 

She said the project aims to find the best way to pay farmers to store carbon in their soil, while still achieving profitable and sustainable agricultural production.

 

“The Lachlan pilot will provide a better understanding of the potential of soils to sequester carbon, how a market-based scheme can tap into this potential and the best ways to get farmers to participate.

 

“Governments throughout Australia will be closely watching the NSW trial as it could influence a national scheme for sequestering carbon in soil.”

 

Ms Hodgkinson said the pilot carbon trading project is being funded under the NSW Catchment Management Action Program.

 

“The Lachlan Catchment Management Authority (CMA) has been engaged to deliver the project on behalf of the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage.

 

“Around 300 farmers in the trial area are eligible to apply to participate in the pilot. Both crop and livestock producers will be given the opportunity to bid competitively with other farmers to have their soil carbon sequestration activities funded.

 

“Successful applicants can enter into contracts with Lachlan CMA to receive financial assistance over the period of the trial. These contracts can be based on verified increases in soil carbon, the adoption of standardised management techniques that increase soil carbon, or a combination of both,’’ Ms Hodgkinson said.

 

Soil samples will be sent to NSW DPI laboratories at Wollongbar where LECO technology will be used to test carbon levels. The trial will also provide a contrast of different farming techniques such as conventional cropping, minimal till cropping and livestock.

 

The trial follows work by soil ecologist Dr Christine Jones who has been promoting an understanding of the importance of soil carbon for productivity and as a significant net carbon sink. Over the past five years Dr Jones has conducted field trials of  soil carbon sequestration and has established the Australian Soil Carbon Accreditation Scheme (ASCAS) under which  soil credits are paid for validated soil carbon increases above initial baseline levels determined within defined sequestration areas. More information is at http://www.amazingcarbon.com.

 

Further information about the NSW Government’s trial is  here.