The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to increasing the value of the agricultural sector to $10 billion by 2050 and working with the industry to achieve this.
Today I attended the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers 2015 Policy Forum in Launceston and it was clear that by working together with our agriculture sector we can achieve great things.
Confidence remains high according to the Rabobank’s most recent Rural Confidence Survey and there’s little surprise why given the recent signing of the China Australia Free Trade Agreement will unlock huge opportunities with our largest trading partner.
The Tasmanian and Commonwealth Governments are investing $90 million to progress the five proposed tranche two irrigation schemes, which together with private investment totals some $115 million towards these developments.
Biosecurity is stronger than ever before with an additional $4 million invested in additional detector dog teams and upgrades of vital biosecurity infrastructure such as laboratories.
Importantly, we are investing in our greatest asset, our people – with the implementation of the TFGA’s Agri Skills Plan, the FarmSafe Program and additional $2.9 million for agricultural research and development now well underway.
A game-changer for the industry was the Australian Government’s $203 million investment to extend the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme – which the Tasmanian Government and local industry lobbied hard for.
The latest AgriGrowth Tasmania Food and Beverage Industry Scorecard, released today, again confirms that agriculture, seafood production and food value adding are key contributors to the Tasmanian economy.
But there is still work to be done and that’s why events such as the TFGA’s Policy Forum are so vital. We are committed to continuing to work with our industry bodies and agribusiness to develop future AgriVision programs to grow our competitive strengths like agriculture, to strengthen our economy and create jobs.
More Media Releases from Jeremy Rockliff
More Media Releases from the Minister for Primary Industries and Water