Speaking last week at the launch of a joint foreign aid programme for agriculture at the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Gillard noted agriculture needs “better agricultural productivity, more open trade, greater investment, innovation, research and development”.
NFF president Jock Laurie says the comments are as applicable to Australian agriculture as they are to global agriculture.
“The Prime Minister’s comments will come as no surprise to those in the Australian agricultural sector – we’ve been saying the same things for many years – but it is reassuring to know the Government is listening.
“Importantly, just as the Government has pledged to improve agricultural productivity and food security in some of the world’s poorest countries, we need to see the same commitment to productivity and food and fibre production at home.
“The issues facing the global agricultural sector – the challenge of increasing production, the scarcity of valuable resources, the barriers to trade – are all the same challenges facing Australian farmers.”
Like their New Zealand counterparts, Australian farmers don’t enjoy Government subsidies and have to compete in the global marketplace against heavily subsidised EU and US farmers. Gillard has acknowledged this, says Laurie.
“We are only able to stay competitive by continually increasing our production through innovation and research and development. If we want to stay in the game, then we cannot take our foot off the pedal.
“And, if the Government is serious about Australian agriculture playing a leading role in helping to ensure other countries have sufficient food, then they need to support this by policies that enable growth in our domestic agricultural sector.”
Laurie singles out policies such as strengthening biosecurity and quarantine systems; continuing to invest in agricultural research and development to boost productivity; ensuring regulatory systems do not hamper the development of new innovations and technologies; and ensuring new Government policies do not add exorbitant costs to farm businesses.
“What we need is a long-term, strategic approach by Government to agricultural policy development, informed by the sector’s ‘Blueprint for Australian Agriculture’, to ensure we can meet the challenges and capitalise on opportunities,” Laurie says.
