Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government's economic recovery plan is backing regional Australia through Ag2030 and giving industry the confidence it needs to aim for $100 billion by 2030? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Despite drought, fire, floods and now COVID-19, Australian agriculture has stood tall. We've gone from a $60 billion industry to a $66 billion despite facing all that adversity, all within 12 months. That's why this government is backing agriculture's ambitious goal of $100 billion by 2030 and we're doing that with our Ag2030 planning. We're doing that with cold, hard cash, $850 million in this year's budget to support agriculture in reaching that goal. That's on top of the $400 million that was put aside in the October budget. We're doing that through seven pillars. The first one is trade, making sure that can diversity our markets. We're doing that with agriculture counsellors in high commissions and embassies around the world—22 of them. In fact, we've had immediate results. We've been able to send barley to Mexico and India, and yesterday we got better access for our grains going to Sri Lanka and longer access for our beef on the shelves of Saudi Arabian supermarkets. We're also investing in our brand.

Our second pillar is biosecurity, and this year's budget invested a further $400 million not just in boots on the ground or paws on the ground but for new technology in the evolving threats that we are facing in protecting our borders. We're making sure that we're looking at 3D X-ray machines to protect us, our brand and our agricultural production systems well into the future. Under our third pillar, our soil stewardship strategy, we're rewarding farmers for the stewardship of their land, with over $120 million set aside for our National Soil Strategy. We are looking at our supply chains through our modern manufacturing program of over $1.5 billion and also at infrastructure through our next pillar of over $3½ billion to go to water infrastructure. We're also connecting our product from the paddock to the plate, whether it be here in Australia or around the world, with roads and rail making sure that we can get it there quicker. We are investing in our innovations systems, making sure we give our farmers the modern tools, science and technology to continue to produce the best food and fibre in the world.

We are also investing in our most important asset. While it might be our final pillar, it is the most important one—that is, our people. We've reduced university agricultural courses by 59 per cent. We have already seen in Queensland a 121 per cent increase in enrolments; in Victoria, 60 per cent; and in Tasmania, 50 per cent.

I'm asked: are there alternatives? There are none, because those opposite, in the budget reply speech, in the 30-minute speech, there was not one word about agricultural production systems, not about regional Australia. Sadly, there are no alternatives. There is this Australian government standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Australian agriculture helping them reach $100 billion.