Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) commends the hard working men and women of Australia's farms and rural industry;

(2) notes that Australia's total farm production is worth $62.3 billion in 2016-17, which is up almost 30 per cent since the Government came to office;

(3) notes that the value of agricultural exports is $49 billion in 2016-17, which is up 28 per cent since the Government came to office;

(4) notes the contribution of agriculture, forestry and fishing sector’s to Australia's economy is $45.7 billion in 2016-17, which is up 9 per cent since the Government came to office;

(5) commends the Government for its investment in Australian agriculture to create jobs and prosperity in rural communities; and

(6) stands with farmers across Australia facing severe hardship as a result of drought and recognises the Government's drought assistance measures.

Agriculture through the time of the coalition has had exponential growth in its exports and in the value of what it contributes to the Australian economy. It should be noted that, from the time we came to government to 2016, we've had in excess of a 25 per cent increase in our exports and the value of our agriculture. This is so vitally important in helping our nation progress.

We're doing this because the population of the globe is making its way to 10 billion people by 2050, and the basic requirements, the requirements to sustain that population, are increasing now in an exponential way. We're also noting that the benefits that have happened in the past from such things as the green revolution have now been absorbed by a vastly bigger population than we had in the 1940s.

Australia is playing its part and has to play its part. We've had a goal of doubling the value of our agriculture, not only for the benefit of our nation but also for the benefit of the world. We're also seeing that benefit now resting in places where there's been a struggle in the past. We've had a vast turnaround in the prospects of the wool industry. I note on the east coast how so many sectors are dealing with the drought, but when you have wool prices basically at a boom—we recently had lamb prices crack $300 for a lamb. I remember when, in selling lambs, we were really happy if we got 40 bucks—$40 was doing extremely well. Now we have lambs that sell for $300. What this means is that there's the capacity, as long as the seasons are with us, for us to get that exponential growth in the agricultural sector to flow back through the farm gate so we get a real turnaround in the prospects of people on the land.

To do that, however, we have to get them through this drought. We have to manage this drought. We have to make sure that these family farmers stay on the land and that basically the weather is not the reason that they go broke. We must make sure that they're there, because it will rain.

We've seen cattle prices in the term of the coalition government have a massive turnaround. Basically, we've seen in every sector—in the protein sector; in the fat sector, which is your dairy industry; in the fibre sector, such as the wool industry—massive turnarounds.

You've got to underpin these turnarounds by showing confidence in the industry, by backing such things as the live-sheep trade, the live-cattle trade and growth in the agriculture sector through the construction of dams and water infrastructure that are so important in underpinning the rural sector. You've got to show confidence in the sector by upgrading their roads and rail, getting things such as the inland rail built and roads sealed.

We have to have a target for our nation. We have to understand, for this nation to grow, you can't just concentrate on where the people are, you've got to concentrate on where your resources and wealth are as well. That's why projects such as the Outback Way to connect Boulia through to Laverton—to make sure that we get other sealed roads so that we can connect the tens of thousands of head of cattle that come out of such places as the Channel Country to markets—are also vitally important.

In my own electorate we're making sure we get an upgrade of such things as the Inverell saleyards and the Scone saleyards. These things are vitally important for the commerce of the area and to allow smaller producers to combine their cattle with other smaller producers so that they have the capacity to get the same premium for their product as people who can provide long lines of stock for sale.

The agriculture industry does have threats though. These would be a government that doesn't have the same passion and desire—the same desire to make sure they stand behind the live-sheep trade, stand behind the live-cattle trade and build the dams, build the inland rail, to make sure that they keep developing those markets that we develop, such as with our free trade deals to Korea, China and Japan. These have been so vitally important. It is to make sure we're adroit and adept in keeping the markets in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt open as well.

I know that the member for Hinkler as a former assistant trade minister is fully aware of how vitally important it is that we stand behind our agriculture production, from the sugar industry to the wool industry to the lamb industry to the beef industry, not just for the benefit of those on the land but for the benefit of our nation.

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