Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources, I present the committee's report, incorporating a dissenting report, entitled Growing Australia: inquiry into growing Australian agriculture to $100 billion by 2030, together with the minutes of proceedings.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—Australian farmers are the most productive, innovative and resilient agriculture producers on the planet. They've had to be, with one of the harshest climates, with poor soil types and with the distance from export markets. Our agricultural sector is producing first-class food and fibre for the world. In 2019 its gross value to the Australian economy was $60 billion, and its future is positive. Opportunities abound with the expansion of trade access to markets in North and South-East Asia through the signing of a plethora of free trade agreements and with the prospect of improved access to the 450 million high-value consumers in the European Union and Great Britain on the horizon. To build on these opportunities, the committee is recommending that the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment allocate additional resources to the market access negotiations with trading partners.

Continual productivity improvements are critical to the Australian agriculture sector retaining its international competitiveness—Australian farmers delivering increased profits through the adaptation of international technologies, the use of new GM techniques and chemical formulations, and through homegrown R&D in the fields of plant breeding, agronomy and animal health. The committee has made recommendations to leverage this innovation through the promotion of new technologies and by setting consistent data standards for agtech.

The evidence also suggests that access to capital to fund adoption and expansion to achieve scale will be critical to the growth of the sector. Agricultural land prices have remained strong during the recent east coast drought, underpinning the confidence of both banks and investors. It is important to note, however, that the Australian superannuation industry, which manages over $3 trillion, invests only around 0.2 per cent of those funds in agriculture.

But there are many challenges facing the sector. The committee took evidence that maintaining Australia's strict biosecurity protocols to protect our producers from pests and disease is of primary importance to our farmers. Evidence was also given that well-funded and professionally run activist organisations continue to cause uncertainty and heartache for the farming community, particularly for livestock producers. The irrational opposition to GM plant technology has largely failed, with almost universal access across Australia to the technology. But that opposition delayed the uptake for up to 15 years in some states. The development of the glyphosate molecule revolutionised agriculture by enabling minimum-till cropping, delivering enormous environmental benefits and lifting billions of people out of food poverty. Unfortunately, this technology is now under threat. It is vital that Australian farmers continue to have access to the latest chemicals that not only increase production and reduce costs but often reduce environmental impacts, compared to existing methods.

Climate variability has always been a challenge for Australian farmers. Evidence gathered suggests that governments can assist in the management of this variability by continuing to offer financial tools such as income averaging and farm management deposits, and by providing disaster relief where applicable. To ensure these tools continue to offer farm businesses the best possible protection, the committee has recommended that the Productivity Commission undertake a review of the approaches to risk mitigation used in agriculture.

One of the strengths of the agricultural sector is its people, and it is vital that the industry continue to attract young people. Currently, the demand for agriculture graduates outstrips supply, despite the positive job prospects and above-average starting salaries available to graduates. The committee has therefore recommended a campaign to promote the diverse, skilled career opportunities available in agriculture. Additionally, the committee has recommended the creation of a professional development process to provide a structured, recognised pathway for skill development.

The evidence to the inquiry can give no doubt that, with the appropriate policy settings, Australian farmers will expand production and deliver $100 billion to the national economy in a sustained manner by 2030 and beyond.

On behalf of the committee, I recognise the secretariat for their outstanding work on this important report, which took over 12 months to compile. Of course, it was disrupted by the pandemic. I thank so very much committee secretary Jenny Adams; inquiry secretary Tim Brennan—Tim, all the best for your move to the Parliamentary Library; I know you will serve the parliament with distinction in the future—senior researcher Louise Milligan, who we wish all the best with the medical issues she's having at the moment; researcher Angus Gould; and office manager Sarah Brasser. I commend this report to the House.

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