Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management. Will the minister please outline how the Morrison-McCormack government's Ag2030 plan is supporting the agriculture industry and provides the framework for industry to reach record-high levels of agricultural production?

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

I thank the member for Flynn for his question and acknowledge that the region that he represents is an agricultural powerhouse in Queensland that is contributing to the stellar recovery of agriculture, one that ABARES has now finalised will be $66.3 billion for this financial year, up from the $60 billion that was estimated at the start of this financial year. That is because this government, not only in this budget but in the budget before, has put cold hard cash behind agriculture to ensure that it continues to grow. That's why, as part of putting that cold hard cash, we announced our Ag2030 plan of seven pillars.

The first pillar is around trade. ABARES has finalised that this year there will be record exports of $47 billion and is estimating now for next year a growth to $50 billion. That's because we have put more agricultural councils on the ground, in embassies and in high commissions, getting market access commodity by commodity, and also because we are digitising our platforms, making sure it's easier for our exporters to send their products around the world, streamlining the application process, ensuring that our product is competitive and there is speed to market.

We're supporting and making sure we're protecting brand Australia, particularly through biosecurity, through a further $400 million we announced in this year's budget on top of the $888 million committed in the October budget. We're ensuring we're looking at not just putting boots and paws on the ground but also new technology, 3D X-ray technology. It is world leading and has been taken up by other countries in the world that will streamline and improve our capacity to scan even more products as they come through our borders to protect our brand Australia.

We're also looking at the stewardship of land, whether that be through measuring soil carbon or biodiversity to ensure that everyone around the world knows about the stewardship of our land and the way our farmers have done it. There is infrastructure, the $3½ billion in extra money put up to build more dams and plumb this nation. We are prepared to work with the states to go and do this. We are going to cut the cheque and let them dig the holes. That's the constitutional ability of our states, and that is what they can do because we are committing $3½ billion.

The next pillar is around the modern manufacturing platforms. We're putting $1.3 billion into making sure that we can go further through the supply chain and looking at and addressing the vulnerabilities in our supply chains. Importantly, it's also around our innovation systems, making that sure our farmers have the technology and science of the 21st century to allow them to continue to produce the best food and fibre in the world.

Finally, it's about our people. We're reducing prices of university courses by 59 per cent in agricultural courses, which have seen an increase in enrolments by 120 per cent. This government is putting environment and Australian agriculture to reach its goal of 100 billion.