Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Friday is AgDay, a day to celebrate and learn about Australia's agriculture sector. I'm a proud supporter of Australian farmers, as many are in this place, and I think this year's AgDay theme of 'Grow you good thing' is very fitting, as the sector grows from strength to strength. Through the hard work of Australian farmers and their workers and by working with the government, the ag sector is inching ever closer to its goal of being a $100 billion industry.

In response to disrupted international supply chains and trade barriers, farmers have done an outstanding job in diversifying their export markets. But I'm also proud that the federal government is committed to reducing those trade barriers. Through our calm and considered approach, Australia's relationship with one of our largest trading partners is stabilising. Trade has resumed in cotton, timber, hay and barley, and now China is also reviewing its tariffs on Australian wine. This is all great news for our ag sector. Trade is essential for Australian farmers, as more than 70 per cent of our farm production is exported.

Trade isn't just about opening trade with one particular country. Last year, we recorded around 107 technical market access achievements for Australian producers, worth around $5.47 billion. The Albanese government has also improved access for Australian producers to sell avocados to Thailand, stone fruit to Vietnam, mangoes to Japan, dairy to Chile, seafood to Israel and sheepmeat to the Middle East. So the trade opportunities for Australian farmers are certainly growing, just as they grow world-class food and fibre for both domestic and international consumers. Happy AgDay to all the farmers and workers who make our ag sector such a great— (Time expired)