Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes recently released forecasts from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences show that:

(a) Australia's farm gate production value is forecast to exceed $100 billion this financial year, four years ahead of the National Farmers Federation's 2030 target; and

(b) agriculture, fisheries and forestry exports will reach a record high of almost $85 billion in 2025-26, with more demand than ever for Australia's world-class food and fibre;

(2) recognises that this significant milestone was achieved with the hard work, resilience and skill of Australia's primary producers; and

(3) acknowledges the significant investments the Government has made in agriculture, fisheries and forestry since coming to Government in support of the industry's target including:

(a) strengthening biosecurity with more than $2 billion in new funding to keep Australia free from the world's most invasive pests and diseases;

(b) boosting the agricultural workforce bringing employers, unions and government together to tackle the workforce challenges impacting Australia's agriculture and processing industry;

(c) making agricultural trade the most diversified it has ever been through 256 market access achievements since July 2022; and

(d) building a climate resilient agriculture sector through the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan backed by more than $2 billion in investment to ensure our farmers and producers can confidently face our climate future.

I rise today to speak about the strength, resilience and future of one of the most important sectors in our nation, Australian agriculture, and what it means for communities like mine in the broader Hunter region. Across our region and right across the country, farmers, fishers and freight operators are navigating a period of real uncertainty. The world is in flux at the moment. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is creating pressure on supply chains and global markets, and people on the ground are feeling it. We see you. In the Hunter—where agriculture, transport, mining and regional industry are deeply connected—we know these global challenges are never far from the farm gate or the supermarket shelf, but what I see every single day in communities like mine is resilience. I see producers who keep showing up, adapting and adopting, getting on with the job of feeding and clothing our nation and our neighbours in the Asian region.

Recently I had the privilege of seeing the future of that resilience firsthand when I attended the graduation at Tocal agricultural college on Friday. There I stood among hundreds of students, young people who've chosen a life on the land or in the agricultural industries. I saw graduates stepping forward with skills, confidence and determination—and some of the best seventies mos and mullets I've seen in a long time, from some of those lads. And the amount of young women was just incredible. These people are embracing agriculture as the future. I also saw tens of scholarships awarded to current students—real, tangible support that is helping them stay in their training and education to build their knowledge and pursue careers in agriculture and the agtech services. It was a powerful reminder that, while we often talk about challenges in the sector, there is enormous optimism and so much youthful energy because the next generation of farmers is already in there making and doing. They're learning how to innovate, how to adapt and how to lead. They understand that agriculture today is not just about tradition; it's about technology, sustainability and global opportunity. And that gives me so much confidence in the future of agriculture in regions like the Hunter and in Australia more broadly.

Despite the challenges—despite the droughts, the floods and the increasingly unpredictable weather—there is a very strong story to tell. The latest forecast from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Science—ABARES, as it's affectionately known—shows that the value of Australia's agricultural production is on track to exceed $100 billion—with a B—this financial year alone. That's an extraordinary milestone. It means we are set to meet and exceed the National Farmers' Federation 2030 target four years ahead of schedule. Just a few years ago, it seemed impossible, and we're already beating it. When our government came to office, agricultural production was valued at around $88 billion. Since then, it's grown by 15 per cent. Exports are also reaching record highs with agriculture, fisheries and forestry expected to hit almost $85 billion this financial year. That's more Australian produce meeting and reaching more markets than ever before. And that matters to regions like mine and to our country.

Our farmers don't just produce world-class food and produce; they underpin our regional economies. And that's why the work we're doing to diversify trade opportunities is so important. By removing trade barriers and restoring access to key markets, including securing the return of $20 billion worth of trade with China, we're making sure our producers have more options, more resilience and more certainty.

But I know this government knows that behind these numbers are real people. Behind these numbers are real problems too. People have faced floods. They're dealing with increasing costs, managing the stress of an increasingly unpredictable climate and world. It has been a difficult period for many, and we get that. That's why our focus is not just on growth but on support. We're strengthening biosecurity to protect our industries. We're investing in the agricultural workforce and we're backing innovation and sustainability so that farmers have the tools they need to adapt to the changing challenges and conditions because we know that getting it right is so important for our farming futures.

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