As you dig into your breakfast this ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Agriculture Day, take a moment to think of the people who put that food on your table.
Since being appointed Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry almost four months ago, I’ve met with so many incredible farmers and producers.
From dairy farmers in Victoria to sheep and cattle producers in Western Australia, to fish farmers in Tasmania to sugarcane in Queensland, the value of our agriculture sector cannot be overstated.
It accounts for more than half of Australia’s land use and employs hundreds of thousands, and its value is growing.
The total value of agricultural, fisheries and forestry production has increased by around 47 per cent in real terms over the past 20 years – from $68.5 billion to more than $100 billion.
Our reputation as a source of high-quality food also grows as Aussie farmers continue feeding the world through $76 billion worth of agriculture, fisheries and forestry exports.
While I’m marking this year’s ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Agriculture Day abroad, it is an honour to represent our country’s farmers on the world stage.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers’ Meeting is a great platform to promote Australian agriculture to the world.
And since the election, the Albanese Labor Government has been working to successfully strengthen our trading relationships around the world.
This hard work is ensuring more trade with more trading partners. That means more jobs here at home, more opportunities for Aussie farmers and lower prices at the checkout.
We’ve seen our hard work pay off through the stabilisation of our relationship with China, which has delivered billions of dollars back to Aussie producers through wine, barley, meat, cotton and timber exports.
We are working to get our live rock lobsters back on Chinese plates ahead of Chinese New Year and we’ve delivered a new free trade agreement with the UAE – our first with the Middle East.
In 2023-24, Australia exported more 70 per cent of our agricultural, fisheries and forestry production to 169 markets. This is the most diversified our agricultural trade has ever been.
Now that’s really some food for thought.
Originally published in the Daily Telegraph, Friday, 15 November 2024
