A $28.5 million Asian Food Markets Research Fund and an additional $5.6 million to give agriculture industries a stronger, government-endorsed voice in key overseas markets are among the centrepieces of the National Food Plan unveiled by federal agriculture minister Joe Ludwig in Brisbane on Saturday.
The initiative is the country’s first National Food Plan, which the Government describes as a road map for the future for both Australia’s food businesses and consumers.
Mr Ludwig said plan incorporates a number of initiatives designed to create new opportunities and steer the way for the future of our food from paddock to plate.
“Australia’s food is the envy of the world, as we produce more than twice the food we consume, we need to remain focused on finding new markets for our high quality exports,” he said.
“Our food supply chain has a strong foundation, with high levels of food security and hard working producers.
“Like others around the world, there are challenges including climate change, population growth, diet-related health issues, and competition for resources. There are also enormous opportunities, including the rise of Asia.”
The National Food Plan is underpinned by the four key themes of ‘growing exports’, ‘a thriving industry’, ‘people’ and ‘sustainability’.
The Plan includes sixteen goals and is supported by new initiatives, including:
- $28.5 million for an Asian Food Markets Research Fund to support our agriculture and food industries to capitalise on opportunities offered by growing Asian markets.
- Strengthening our trade ties in the Asian region by investing an additional $5.6 million to give our agriculture industries a stronger, government endorsed voice in key overseas markets;
- $2 million to develop Australia’s own trusted and recognised food brand, to ensure our trading partners continue to associate Australia with quality, innovative, safe and sustainable food;
- a What Asia Wants study to identify food needs and preferences in the region and identify long-term risks and opportunities for the Australian food industry;
- a Moving Food study which will analyse food industry trends to help business and governments plan infrastructure to support a growing industry to 2025;
- $1.5 million for a Community Food Grants program to help boost our communities’ connection with food;
- $1.5 million to build on our work to grow our young people’s knowledge of food and agriculture and the rewarding career opportunities in the sector by better supporting teachers and career advisers;
- a Productivity Commission review to identify priority areas for reforming food supply chain regulations;
- establishment of an Australian Council on Food to engage with industry and community leaders on food;
-
five-yearly State of the Food System reports to monitor the food system and analyse trends.
“The National Food Plan was a Labor commitment of the 2010 election. The Gillard Government has brought this plan to life, so our food policies are aligned with the opportunities of the Asian century,” Minister Ludwig said.
“We are also supporting our food sector to build on their strong foundation, better prepare for the future and to take advantage of new opportunities. The National Food Plan helps achieve those goals.”
Opposition: Plan without profit no plan at all
Meanwhile the Federal Opposition says the plan fails because it does not focus on profit as a key driver for food security and sustainability.
“After a six-year anti-farm agenda Labor has belatedly acknowledged agricultures role in food production, but the glaring omission in this Food Plan is the key driver for food security, sustainability and the future of agriculture, ‘profit’.
“The Gillard Government has done so much to undermine the profitability of the farm sector best symbolised by their introduction of the world’s biggest Carbon Tax and their kneejerk ban of Live Exports.
“This latest con job conveniently ignores that agriculture is being strangled by regulation. Since 2008, the Rudd-Gillard Government has introduced an additional 20,900 regulations and repealed a paltry 104 regulations, despite having promised to cap the growth of regulation with a ‘one-in, one-out’ policy”
Labor’s has latched onto the Asian Century for agriculture in words only, as everything the Gillard government does undermines our farm opportunities in Asia, added Mr Cobb.
“Other countries have priority access to Asia with bilateral trade deals. For example, the US has tariff advantages in the Korean market for beef exports, while New Zealand has tariff advantages into China of up to 20pc for some dairy products,” he said.
“The Gillard government has failed to negotiate a single substantial trade deal because of sovereign risk issues the Gillard Government poses to our trading partners.
“Australia, under Labor, is are seen as unreliable and untrustworthy – we upset Indonesia by banning live exports, annoyed Korea by reneging on a major defence deal and ditched the Dutch by inviting the super trawler to Australia and then banning it.”
“This government has promised so much and delivered so little. The key to success for this plan which has a goal to increase exports by $13.5 Billion by 2025 will be to get rid of this Labor Government and install a government that backs agriculture.”
Mr Cobb said the Coalition, if elected, will implement a practical, sensible, methodical and hardworking government and department that back agriculture.
“We will prioritise trade deals that deliver benefits for industry by rebuilding our international reputation and strengthening our relationships with trading partners,” he said.
“We will cut the cost of business by scrapping the carbon tax, cutting red tape by $1 billion a year, create a one-stop shop for environmental approvals to be done with over-regulation, and getting the budget back in shape to take pressure off interest rates and the Australian dollar.
“”We will back our farmers by getting out of their way so they can get on with the job of producing food and fibre for an ever-hungrier world. Instead of whacking new penalties on farmers, we will unshackle them so they can succeed and, once again, make a dynamic contribution to the Australian economy.
- Details of the National Food Plan can be viewed on the Federal Government's website by clicking here
HAVE YOUR SAY