Save harvests, Collins calls for leadership

A lack of leadership has been disappointing says shadow agriculture minister, Julie Collins, given the impact the agricultural workforce shortage has had on farms.

At risk: The value of crops lost has been estimated to be more than $40m.
Picture: Zoe Phillips

I TAKE on the role of shadow agriculture minister at a crucial moment for Australian agriculture.

The opportunities are great but there are also challenges.

With borders closed for much of 2020 due to COVID-19, many Australians learned that we have a highly secure food supply.

The Australian agriculture industry can be rightly proud of ensuring quality produce was kept on the shelves of supermarkets even with the unfortunate advent of panic buying.

But there was also a downside to these border closures.

There have been significant labour shortages, which has sadly resulted in some crops being left to rot on farms — fruit, vegies, cherries and berries that farmers have worked tirelessly to produce.

We know the seasonal worker program is a responsibility of the Federal Government, as is quarantine.

It is disappointing there has been a lack of leadership at the commonwealth level given the impact this agriculture workforce shortage has had on farms.

The value of crops lost has been estimated to be more than $40m.

This is completely unacceptable and national leadership needs to happen now.

I am also concerned about the impact of trade restrictions on exporters.

The Federal Government must do more to work with exporters to help build relationships and secure markets that many jobs in regional Australia depend on.

This is not just about finding a market to take our produce but also ensuring the world-class produce Australia exports continues to attract a premium price.

It has been so heartening over my first days in this role to hear from farmers about bumper crops over the past months after facing the harsh impact of drought over many years.

But sadly, there are still some who are doing it tough.

We must continue to offer support to those who need it.

We should also be doing everything we can now to introduce more sustainable farming practices to help mitigate the future risks of a changing climate.

I see a strong role for the federal government to work with farmers and the agriculture industry to help solve these issues and address the many challenges.

● Julie Collins is the federal Opposition agriculture spokeswoman

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