TFGA call for State to end silence on farm Budget

Tasmanian farmers want the State Government to end its silence on the future of vital rural programs ahead of the June 16 Budget, including the all important Wealth from Water initiative.

Wealth from Water aims to assist farmers and potential investors to make informed business decisions about the transition to high-value food and agricultural products from irrigation.

“At no time in living memory has the future of agriculture in Tasmania been so vital to our economic survival,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said in a detailed statement today, aimed to extracting immediate government assurances about the future.

“Agriculture is one of the key economic drivers for the Tasmanian economy, contributing $1.7 billion at the farm gate to the state in 2009/10,” Ms Davis said.

“This represents about eight per cent of gross state product (GSP), but 17 per cent on the basis of farm-dependent economy multipliers.

“The sector directly employs more than 17,000 people, seven per cent of the state’s workforce and over the last 20 years the value of agricultural contribution to the GSP has increased at an average annual rate of 4.4 per cent, a performance not matched by any other sector,” she said.

The opening of the first of the 13 planned TIDB irrigation schemes at Whitemore on Friday was evidence that farmers’ commitment to the schemes was more than just talk; that there were tangible steps being taken to secure the future of agriculture in Tasmania and to increase the sustainability of both individual farms and the industry as a whole.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we achieve our potential to not only provide sufficient food for our own needs but also for a growing proportion of the world’s population,” she said.

“However, we cannot deliver on our side of the deal without significant additional investment at both federal and state level. It is not going to happen by accident: it has to be planned and funded.

“The commitment by governments to deliver water is not enough to realise our sector’s potential. Farmers need sophisticated decision-making tools to assist them in making the best of their investment decisions. The State Government is developing some of these tools,” she said.

“Wealth from Water is an exciting program currently being trialed in the Meander region. It will deliver detailed and targeted information to farmers about soils and microclimates that will enable them to make informed decisions.

“The Innovative Farming Practices program is designed to facilitate the uptake of GPS-enabled technology by establishing a network of continuously operating reference stations across the state.

“We also need a State Government commitment for farmers with forestry as a crop rotation to operate in a secure environment, plus assistance to minimise the impact of browsing animals on farm incomes.

“Yet we can gain no assurances from the State Government that the June 16 Budget will include ongoing funding for any of these essential programs,” she said.

It was imperative that the Government not only supported the investment environment that farmers required to deliver the goods, but also that it sent a firm signal that it backed farmers.

“We all know the state financial situation is not looking rosy and that we need to have a long hard look as a community about how we maintain our standard of living in tight financial circumstances.

“Tasmanian farms and farmers are part of the solution, not part of the problem. Farmers can provide the backbone of Tasmania’s financial recovery. Don’t send them the wrong signals,” she said.

And,

Growers welcome TPI poppy price
Dated: 23rd May 2011

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association today welcomed a price increase for poppies supplied to TPI Enterprises Ltd for the 2011/12 season.

TPI has calculated that the new rates to growers, driven by competition from other processors, will average the 40 per cent over
the 2010/11 pricing, with growers of higher assays getting more than 50 per cent increases.

“Only two weeks ago TPI growers were looking at a 25 per cent increase from TPI,” TFGA chief executive Jan Davis said.

“The revised price shows the reality of the marketplace. It is good news made better for farmers and a signal that the poppy industry is doing well.”
Jan Davis, TFGA