Panda budget boost slammed by drought-stricken South Australian farmers

Adelaide Zoo’s panda pair got more federal budget love than SA’s drought-stricken farmers - and the cockies are far from happy about it.

• Pandas’ budget payday explained

Farmers have slammed this week’s federal budget as “another kick in the guts” after Treasurer Jim Chalmers allocated $15,000 a week for pandas but did not even mention the drought crippling SA’s agriculture industry.

Farmers have also joked they might take up bamboo production to help feed the pandas in the wake of Tuesday’s Budget which ignored their plight in the midst of one of the worst droughts in SA history.

Primary Producers SA chairman Simon Maddocks said he was disappointed but not surprised at the failure of the Federal Treasurer to acknowledge the drought in the Budget.

“This is yet another reflection on where agriculture does or doesn’t sit in the broad set of priorities these days,” Professor Maddocks said.

Professor Simon Maddocks. Picture: Supplied

“I think this is a short-term budget … but we are focused on working with the State Government to leverage the existing mechanisms within the state-federal relationships in the Future Drought Fund to see if we can’t improve the support packages going forward.

“South Australia’s big hit in the Budget was obviously Whyalla, and I … totally appreciate that and take nothing away from Whyalla but there’s this other significant part of the South Australian economy that is doing it tough.”

Professor Maddocks said South Australia was the “poor cousin” of the eastern states when it came to receiving money and attention from the federal government.

Anthony Hurst at his farm in the South East. Picture: Ben Clark

Livestock SA board member Anthony Hurst said the budget snub was “laughable” and joked there appeared to be more money in bamboos and pandas than there is in farming.

“It’s a kick in the guts for agriculture in South Australia,” Mr Hurst, a cattle farmer in the South East, said.

“Even the fact the State Government even allows the federals to do it - it’s ridiculous.

“We’re in a cost-of-living crisis Australia-wide and the pandas get more money than anything else.”

SA Dairy Farmers Association president Robert Brokenshire said farmers felt neglected and unappreciated after the panda’s received more money than them in the budget, which allocated

$760,000 a year over the next five years to a joint federal-state agreement to pay China Wildlife Conservation Association for pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu to be on loan to Adelaide Zoo.

“Most farmers would be thinking this morning, well, you know, this Federal Government doesn’t give us stuff about us in our time of need,” he said.

“Pandas are important, but the agricultural economy is worth nearly $100 billion to this nation.

Giant panda Xing Qiu at Adelaide Zoo. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“South Australia and parts of Victoria at the moment are desperate for support and we haven’t seen either the Federal Agriculture Minister or the Prime Minister here to talk to us about the impact of the drought.”

State Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said he could understand farmers were watching the Budget with “a keen eye” and the Malinauskas government was working with primary producers to access federal drought-relief programs. The State Government also announced an $18m support package in November.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said she would continue working with the South Australian Government to support farmers who are being impacted by “ongoing dry conditions”.

State opposition primary industries spokeswoman Nicola Centofanti said it was heartbreaking to see the federal budget falling significantly short on support for drought-affected farmers in South Australia, especially given the severity of the current conditions.

“There is a complete lack of compassion and understanding of these conditions by both Federal and State Labor Governments,” she said.

“Last night was an opportunity for Labor to acknowledge these challenges and finally take some action but they didn’t.”

Originally published as Panda budget boost slammed by drought-stricken South Australian farmers