Queensland election campaign: LNP’s $30m agriculture pledge

The LNP would sink $30m into a fund designed to pair farmers with universities to boost agricultural production.

David Crisafulli addresses the Back the Bush AgForce conference in inner Brisbane. Picture: Liam Kidston.

An elected LNP will invest $30m into an innovation fund that would see farmers partner with universities to research new cutting edge methods to boost agricultural production.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli addressed Agforce’s Back the Bush convention on day two of the election campaign, declaring he would turn the agriculture industry into a $30bn powerhouse by 2030.

“We’re putting $30 million new money on the table to make it occur,” he said.

“We’re calling it sowing the seeds of farming innovation fund.

“It is about supercharging R and D (research and development) in this state, technology expertise, cutting edge agriculture for Queensland.”

Research would be targeted towards identifying new crops and enhancing fertiliser and pesticide usage to help farmers expand their business.

In a rare, personal speech Mr Crisafulli credited the agriculture industry for his family’s ability to migrate to Australia and the values instilled in him as a child.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Queensland agricultural story,” he said.

“My late grandfather, the most influential person in my life, came to this country in 1960 to cut sugar cane by hand in North Queensland.

“It was a place and a time when people could dream, and within ten years, he went on to become his own owner of that farm, a farm that my mum and dad still operate today.

“It’s the values that have been instilled in me are the values that came from that property.

“Every day in the last four years, I have beaten the sun out of bed, and that is something that I intend to continue doing into the future.”

Mr Crisafulli vowed his government would not “find new ways to tax and regulate” farmers.