Holbrook beef producer Marc Greening questions US import changes
A leading beef producer has condemned the federal government's 'hostile' approach to agriculture after biosecurity restrictions on US imports were lifted without transparency.
As an Australian beef producer in an industry based on 70 per cent-plus exported volumes, I have long supported the principle of free trade. It opens markets, drives innovation, and creates resilience in our sector.
But recent federal government decisions to lift biosecurity restrictions on US beef imports, seemingly without full industry consultation or transparent science-based assurances, have me and many others questioning where the line sits between opportunity and unnecessary risk.
Let me be clear: I am not against competition or imported product. Australian beef competes on the world stage every day. What I am against is government intervention that appears driven by trade diplomacy over agricultural science and domestic food security.
Australia’s biosecurity system is world-class for good reason. It protects our herds, our land, and our global reputation. Our national disease-free status underpins export deals, pricing premiums, and consumer trust both here and abroad.
With threats like foot and mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy still present in some markets, any policy change that dilutes our rigorous protocols should be met with caution, not complacency.
Many producers are asking: was the risk properly assessed? Were the appropriate independent scientific reviews conducted? And what contingency measures are in place should an incursion occur?
Free trade is not the enemy here – poor process is.
It’s one thing to say the science supports the move; it’s another to demonstrate it openly to those whose livelihoods are on the line. Transparency matters. So does trust. And right now, both are in short supply.
As producers, we’re expected to meet the highest environmental, welfare and traceability standards in the world.
We proudly do so, because we know our product is only as strong as the system that supports it. But when policy moves faster than due diligence, or fails to respect the unique risks of our island nation, it undermines not just the sector, but also the very trade reputation it claims to support.
This isn’t a call to shut our borders. It’s a call to slow down, to consult, and to ensure decisions are grounded in rigorous science, not politics.
We’ll back free trade every time. But only when it’s fair, transparent, and doesn’t compromise the biosecurity shield that underpins everything we do. We as an industry must stand up and demand transparency, because, rightly so we question this government’s motives and have seen this government as the most hostile towards agriculture of any government in my lifetime.
We need to stand-up and demand respect.
Marc Greening is a beef producer who also runs Injemira Beef Genetics at Holbrook NSW.
Why ban gets worse before it gets better
