Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for Primary Industries and Water, 24 November 2021

Record-breaking agriculture sector exceeds $2 billion for the first time

The gross farm gate value of agricultural production in Tasmania has exceeded $2 billion for the first time.

Tasmania’s 2019-2020 Agri-Food Scorecard notes seasonal conditions, access to irrigation and export growth as key drivers of the continuing expansion of the agricultural industry which has grown by 13 per cent to $2.15 billion.

The State’s overall agri-food value grew to $3.22 billion, and the value of food produced after packing and processing grew to $5.27 billion.

The sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector is Tasmania’s second-largest sector, employing around 14,500 people, nearly three quarters of them full-time, and accounting for 9.1 per cent of Gross State Product in 2019-20.

The strong agricultural performance recorded in the Agri-Growth Scorecard demonstrates why Tasmanian agriculture continues to lead the nation, and we remain securely on track to achieve our target to sustainably grow the value of Tasmania’s agricultural production to $10 billion by 2050.

Some of the strongest performing sectors included:

  • Fruit increased by 22.1 per cent.
  • Meat increased by 20.4 per cent.
  • Vegetables increased 13 per cent.
  • Dairy increased by 10.6 per cent, with record production volumes.

Tasmanian farmers produce over five times more food than is consumed in Tasmania, with the surplus sold interstate and overseas. In 2019-20, the value of Tasmania’s international food exports reached a record $954 million and the value of total agri-food exports increased by 23 per cent to $1.08 billion, accounting for around 29 per cent of Tasmania’s total merchandise exports.

Rabobank’s latest quarterly Rural Confidence Survey shows that Tasmanian farmers remain among the most confident and optimistic in the country. For the second consecutive quarter, 100 per cent of Tasmanian farmers surveyed expected current business conditions to continue or improve further over the next 12 months.

The Tasmanian Government is investing $153 million in over 70 initiatives to sustainably grow the agri-food sector as part of Tasmania’s Sustainable Agri-Food Plan 2019-23 in partnership with industry and other important stakeholders.

We are backing in our farmers, and almost $50 million in additional funding is being invested as part of the Accelerating Agriculture policy to accelerate progress towards the long-term goal for the sector.

This is in addition to the Government’s commitment of $15 million to develop a nation-leading Tasmanian agricultural precinct in Launceston, $7 million to upgrade Tasmania’s dairy and cropping research farms, and $2 million to expand the Strategic Industry Partnership Program to support key agricultural sectors.

The Tasmania Liberal Government thanks all Tasmanian farmers, producers, businesses and organisations who have helped us grow the sector and deliver these outstanding agricultural achievements.

The 2019-2020 Agri-Food Scorecard can be viewed online at: www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/scorecards.

Featured image above: an onion crop in northern Tasmania. Image courtesy Craig Soward.

Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader, 24 November 2021

Liberals’ Agrivision 2050 Plan Comes at Huge Cost to River Systems

The Liberals’ ‘Agrifood Scorecard 2019-20’ tabled in Parliament today talks up agricultural output and ignores the heavy price paid by Tasmania’s rivers and catchments for a target without science.

The Liberals and particularly Minister Barnett are overseeing the complete neglect of Tasmania’s river systems, and serious decline in their health since 2014; a decline confirmed by independent and government scientists over the past six months.

Most Tasmanians don’t realise that while big businesses profit from using Tasmania’s precious water resources, they pay almost nothing for the privilege. We literally give away our most precious natural resource.

Van Dairy have repeatedly breached environmental and animal welfare laws. Meanwhile they pay just one cent for every 38,000 litres of water they’re licensed to take from the Wey River in the state’s north-west.* At that rate, they could pay for the average household’s annual water usage with a five-cent coin.

The Greens strongly support Tasmanian farmers, but we do not support a government who is prepared to gift away our most precious resource – fresh water – and run down the health of our rivers.

The egregious undervaluing of fresh water, coupled with the Liberals’ plan for a tenfold expansion of agricultural production by 2050, is increasing the pressure on Tasmania’s rivers. The government’s own agency, DPIPWE, says many rivers have no more water left to give, and that many others are experiencing serious decline in environmental health and water quality.

Government scientists, TasWater, river experts, anglers, oyster growers, and PESRAC have all expressed their concern about the management of water in Tasmania. They understand that while the Liberals’ plan will result in some short-term economic benefit, in the long run it will be a disaster for the state.

Every single Tasmanian, and our entire economy, relies on the availability of clean water – but that’s being put at risk by a government that won’t acknowledge the serious problems being created by their unscientific and short-sighted policy agenda.

*Confirmed by the Minister for Primary Industries in response to a Question on Notice from Budget Estimates. In total, Van Dairy hold licences for over 30,000 million litres of water in Tasmania.