Help farmers feed nation by cutting carbon reporting burden: Liberal Nicola Centofanti

SA’s $18.5bn agriculture industry should be given some exemptions from onerous carbon emissions reporting, say the Liberals.

South Australia’s $18.5bn agriculture industry should be recognised as a special case under ambitious greenhouse emissions schemes because food and fibre production is fundamental to the state, say the state Liberals.

Opposition primary industries spokeswoman Nicola Centofanti called for exemptions for farmers from mandatory carbon emissions reporting, which has been estimated to have a $2.3bn compliance burden across the national economy.

Dr Centofanti also urged recognition of the “fluctuation of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to agriculture industry” in climate change and emissions reductions legislation now before state parliament.

The Advertiser on Monday revealed warnings of a hit to supermarket prices and banking costs because of a federal carbon emissions reporting burden being passed on to farmers.

In response, prominent supermarket chief John-Paul Drake said food prices inevitably would rise if farmers were forced to shoulder the “beyond unconscionable” burden of carbon reporting.

Liberal primary industries spokeswoman Nicola Centofanti at a Hahndorf cattle property. Picture Emma Brasier

Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven on Wednesday will announce $24.4m for research into lowering greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, including breeding and trials of feed plants that naturally decrease methane production.

But Dr Centofanti urged the state government to lobby federal Labor counterparts to “walk back those onerous carbon emission reporting mechanisms”.

“What those will do is place more green and red tape on our farmers, which will mean ultimately that there will be an increase in the cost of food production, and what that means for the mums and dads and the families out there at the supermarket checkout is that they’ll have more expensive groceries,” she said.

Dr Centofanti said the Liberals had successfully amended state climate change legislation in September to acknowledge agriculture’s importance and variable emissions but demanded the government clarify for farmers how this would be implemented.

“ At the end of the day, our farmers need to be able to produce the food and fibre for this state and, indeed, the nation. We really need to be looking at some exemptions when it comes to agriculture into the future,” she said.

Dr Centofanti accused Ms Scriven of failing to attend community drought round table meetings, which Yorke Peninsula farmer Elden Oster branded unacceptable.

“The Labor government’s inability to acknowledge the real situation at hand will have long-term consequences for rural communities,” he said.

But Ms Scriven said she had been regularly speaking with producers and industry groups “to ensure the state government is providing effective, targeted support”.

The South Australian Research and Development Institute research also will study expanding legume crop production to reduce synthetic nitrogen use, and improving soils to increase atmospheric carbon storage.

Originally published as Help farmers feed nation by cutting carbon reporting burden: Liberal Nicola Centofanti