AgForce looks forward to working with ‘critical’ new Queensland Ministers

AgForce has congratulated Queensland-based Ministers David
Littleproud and Keith Pitt on their new portfolios and looks forward to further
strengthening our relationships with their critical portfolios.

CEO Michael Guerin welcomed Minister Littleproud back into
the agriculture portfolio, saying his retention of drought and emergency
management made a “powerful portfolio as far as Queensland’s primary producers
go”.

“AgForce has a very constructive and collaboration with
Minister Littleproud across all these responsibilities and know he will support
Queensland agriculture’s drive to become a sustainable $30 billion industry by
the end of the decade,” Mr Guerin said.

“The appointment of Minister Pitt, with whom we have worked
closely for many years as Member for Hinkler, to the water, resources and
northern Australia portfolios also makes him a key stakeholder for agriculture.

“It is significant that both Ministers not only come from major
agricultural areas but, as Queenslanders ‘get’ the needs of our State and, in
particular, of rural and regional communities.”

General President Georgie Somerset said she hoped that
AgForce’s long and successful history of working with the Ministers, combined
with their knowledge of agriculture and regional communities, gave the industry
a head start in achieving its key objectives.

“We anticipate that Minister Littleproud will continue to
demonstrate strong support for producers affected by extreme weather, during
both the event and the recovery phase, including wage support for farm workers
to ensure they can remain in their local communities,” Mrs Somerset said.

“We also hope the Minister continues to champion the exclusion
fencing program to protect small livestock from predation, a project that is
already seeing a resurgence in the State’s once-thriving sheep and wool
industry.

“In new work that needs to be done, it has never been more
important to finalise and implement the biosecurity import levy to help fund
our essential biosecurity surveillance and preparedness.

“And we implore the Minister to initiate an investigation by
the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission into the effect of monopoly
players in the grains supply chain.”

Video statement by Mr Guerin available via Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vcj687y7ewimiqr/AACgvj2as2sYVfGxe-khhyoxa?dl=0