Doorstop at Parliament House, Canberra

E&OE TRANSCRIPT 
DOORSTOP 
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA  
TUESDAY, 3 MARCH 2026 
 
SUBJECTS: $100 billion agriculture target, Middle East conflict, AU-EU free trade agreement 
 
JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Terrific news out of the ABARES data today that says that Australian agriculture is due to hit over $100 billion, in fact $101.4 billion this financial year. What this means, of course, is that we have hit the $100 billion target for 2030 four years early. This is a target that was set by industry, and we've achieved this by all of us working together – industry, our farmers, and the Government. Our Government's careful, considered approach to restoring international relations has certainly helped Australian agriculture, and our support for Australian agriculture remains strong during this period. We also know, of course, that there have been challenges, which is why this $100 billion is totally worth supporting and celebrating. The $100 billion has come at a time where we know some of our farmers have been impacted by drought, some of our farmers have been impacted by floods and rain, some of them are being impacted by what we're seeing in terms of trade displacements across the globe, and of course, conflicts like we're currently seeing. So this is an extraordinary result, and it's testament to the hard work of Australia's farmers, industry, and our Government working together. Australia's trade is now the most diversified it's ever been. We're on target for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry’s $85 billion in exports during the financial year. This is a very significant figure, and of course, it's down to our careful and considered work that we have been doing in terms of restoring our trading relationships and working with industry. Over 250 new market achievements since we came to office. Working with industry, as I said, carefully and closely. Working with international partners to achieve this record figure that we're talking about today. So over $100 billion, $101.4 this financial year for Australia's agriculture production. It is worth celebrating, but we acknowledge the challenges that some of our farmers are experiencing, as we acknowledge that this is a very significant figure. I'll hand over to Hamish McIntyre from the National Farmers Federation to talk about this being industry led, and this is being an industry target that we've worked with them to help achieve. Thank you.

HAMISH MCINTYRE, NATIONAL FARMERS FEDERATON PRESIDENT: Thanks, Minister Collins. In 2018, the National Farmers Federation set a targeted strategy of $100 billion for the total farm value of the commodity to be produced right across Australian farms, and it was to be achieved by 2030. So it is wonderful news that farmers, with the help of all the industry that's involved, our processors and mills and gins and whatever they are that value add our commodities on the farm, and of course the great help from government creating markets. We, you know, have to have a diversity of markets, as we've seen very recently to achieve these goals through the highs and lows of all the constraints that do go on around the world. So it's great news that everyone working together has been able to achieve this target four years early. Australian farmers are very durable; they've been able to do this while we've been going through, you know, a varying climate. As we all understand our climates are always changing and always have and always will. So whether it's fires and floods and other extremes, acts of God, we've still been able to work forward, as farmers, deal with what's in front of us, and achieve this outcome. So it's wonderful news, and with our members, National Farmers Federation members, we'll be setting a new target and the goal of developing it from where we go from this point. It's a great news story to achieve that this target was set by Fiona Simpson and Tony Mahar, and the rest of our members back in 2018, four years early. Thank you, I'll hand over to Anthony Chisholm.

SENATOR ANTHONY CHISHOLM, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Thanks, Hamish, and it's a real pleasure to work with the NFF as the Assistant Minister for Agriculture, along with Minister Collins as well. This is a significant achievement for the industry and one that is definitely worth celebrating. Minister Collins mentioned hitting that $100 billion figure and the $85 billion worth of exports, which are really significant numbers for the country. When I think about that, I think about the different communities in rural areas that I get to visit, and the benefit that comes to them from the agriculture sector right across the country. This means thriving regional communities, thriving rural places, and that's great for a country as big and diverse as Australia. A couple of other things I wanted to focus on that really drive and help get that $100 billion figure. One is the PALM Scheme. We've got over 17,000 people contributing to our agriculture sector through the PALM Scheme. That's been an outstanding success for this country, but also working with our neighbours at the same time to give them opportunity as well. There's also 10,000 workers who are working in meat processing as well, so that again gives you a sense of the work that goes in and the extra support that we need to achieve this $100 billion figure. I'm really proud to be part of a Government that supports our farming communities. Congratulations to the NFF for having the vision, and I'm really pleased to work with Minister Collins and the industry to see this significant achievement today. Thanks everyone.

COLLINS: Yes, happy to take some questions.

JOURNALIST: Minister Collins, I guess do you have any further comments about the impacts across the sector, and I guess, by large, of the Iranian conflict?

COLLINS: Well, we know, of course, that these conflicts do impact Australian agriculture and particularly our exports. So we'll be keeping a careful eye on the situation. We have been careful and considered in the way we've gone about our international relationships, but importantly, of course, the diversification of markets has been critically important as well. And can I say that as a Minister for a Department, the other thing that I'm focused on is the safety of Australians and particularly my departmental officials who are overseas in these areas, to make sure that they are safe. Human safety should be our first priority, but of course, food security is also important, and we are working on a food security strategy as a Government. We are responding obviously to the displacements that occur as they occur, and we'll continue to closely monitor the situation.

JOURNALIST: Minister, you mentioned there exports and markets, but maybe a question for you and Hamish, if I may, what advice do you have for farmers about the developing concerns around fertiliser pricing due to international supply chain disruption? Can you just run us through what you know to date and maybe give us a bit of an outline of where you think things could go in the near future, given you know, the US is now flagging a month long conflict?

COLLINS: We've certainly been seeking advice from the Department and from industry in relation to fertiliser and the impact it will have on the planting season, and certainly, the advice that I have received is that most of the fertiliser that we need for this planting season is already on the water or is already in the country. I'm happy to hand over to Hamish to see if he's got any more industry insights for that, but certainly from Government's perspective, we're continuing to closely monitor the situation, and Minister Ayres, as the Minister for Industry, would indicate we do produce some fertiliser in Australia. I think there's one plant that does produce some of that at the moment, and that's why our Future Made in Australia is so important going forward. I'll hand over to Hamish.

MCINTYRE: Thanks, Minister. The cost of production is our huge focus from an NFF point of view, but from farmers around Australia. So any incidents like what is occurring at the moment do have an impact on the price of fertiliser and fuel, particularly. We have a greater concern about diesel, access to it, obviously, and reliable access to it, and our fuel reserves that are here in Australia. So it's fertiliser, it's fuel, it's AgTech products too. I mean key products like [indistinct]. I mean AgTech products, we weren't manufacturing many more in Australia, so we would like, you know, government support too, it really backs up that we need to get, you know, BOE Refineries going in Australia using some of our agriculture can commodities like canola and sugar, et cetera, to, you know, support these situations if they do occur and keep these prices down, because that's what really hurts us as farmers; it just adds extra cost to our production, and when these trade winds or whether they are, you know, international issues like occurring at the moment, I mean it does affect at times our prices we receive for our commodities too. So it just   everyone steps back, prices go up, and there is a   until things settle down, I mean, we all have our budgets, and farmers generally do worry about what effect it will have on the price they'll receive, and their cost to produce the commodities that we do.

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask one for the Minister, or really anyone, and apologies if you mentioned this in your opening remarks, but with the $100 billion that you're mentioning today being set as a target in 2018, a lot has happened in the last eight years that's been quite volatile on the economy. How much of this is being achieved purely just by inflation costings going up, of revenues looking more impressive just because of inflation?

COLLINS: Well, certainly Australian farming production is some of the most efficient on the globe. We have some of the lowest emissions, some of the least fertilser, and our farmers are incredibly productive. Agriculture is one of the most productive sectors of the Australian economy, and we continue to work together as a Ministry and as a Government to make sure that that continues to be the case. I'm happy to hand to Hamish to talk a little bit more about the broader question that you asked there, but what I would say is that Australian agriculture is incredibly productive, our farmers are incredibly productive, and this figure was set in 2018. At the time it was considered incredibly ambitious by industry, and it's only by working together with industry, with farmers, and with the Government, particularly in terms of restoring our trade relationships, as you've heard from Assistant Minister Chisholm, in relation to the work we've done on the PALM, and the workforce that this has been able to be achieved.

MCINTYRE: Thanks, Minister. Yes, further to the Minister's answer there, I mean productivity gains are key to viability and profitability as farmers in Australia, so we do have to thank, too, remember, in achieving this goal, that I mean, our industry scientists, our industry engineers, our supply chains too are a huge part of it, so our regional communities, we're all working together to achieve these things, so we need, you know, vibrant, you know, productive rural and regional communities too. We want, you know, families to be coming back to Regional Australia to, you know, work with us on our farms obviously, to produce these commodities. So it's a combined effort by everyone, and you know, government too hopefully moving forward will help incentivise, you know, people to come back to Regional Australia and not just focus on the peri urban areas around our big cities. We need families out there again, and to support what we're doing, but also to, you know, grow the ability to produce more.

JOURNALIST: To that point, did COVID help or hinder that?

MCINTYRE: I think it helped, yeah, we all learnt, you know, durability, you know, in our own farming situations, we used our chicken liver to mix with our feedlot manures now, I mean because of access, it was hard to get hold of fertilizer, so that's just a simple example in our own business, but it's, you know, there's all sorts of things came out of that to   so we can keep going and produce the commodities that we are. I mean we have to remember, I mean we need to make sure the food and fibre we are producing is affordable for our customers and at the same time we've got to be viable as farmers. I mean we need to look after our regional neighbours too, so it's important that we can just, you know, find the right gross margin so it's a combination, of you know, cost price squeeze, of course, but you know, these imports that we discussed, whether it's fertilizer or fuel or products, we just need them to be reliably available and affordable also.

JOURNALIST: Just one for the Minister. Obviously, you've achieved this goal four years ahead of schedule, but you've also achieved it less than 12 months into a three year political term. Is this going to trigger possibly a re think of how you approach investment moving forward ahead of the next Federal Election?

COLLINS: What you've seen from our Government since we've come to office is making sure that Australian agriculture is supported by a strong biosecurity, by support in terms of workforce, you've seen it in terms of our trade relationships and our market access and diversification of trade. So we are supporting the industry at every opportunity. This is about us working together. We've achieved this by working together with industry and with government. This is a joint success, the target was obviously an industry target, that we've been working with industry to achieve, so this is worth celebrating, as we said earlier, acknowledging that some farmers in Australia have been doing it tough, and there have been some challenges, whether it be drought, floods, bushfire or some of the displacements in trade and geopolitical issues that have come into play during this period of time. What I would say is we should all be as a nation celebrating Australian farmers for their innovation, for their resilience, and for their strength during what has been challenging. The fact that we've been able to meet it four years earlier even with these challenges is quite extraordinary, and I think it's owed a lot to Australian farmers.

JOURNALIST: Just on the Canadian Prime Minister's visit in your portfolio as well, we've seen a lot of volatility come out of the US as a trading partner. Does this mean that we will see stronger connections in agriculture in exports with nations like Canada?

COLLINS: What we've seen in terms of our agricultural trade exports is successive diversification. Diversification certainly helped and supported our farmers. We saw the repercussions of not having diversified markets when we saw the trade restrictions that were imposed that we were able to undo, in terms of China, one of our largest trading partners. Diversification of markets has been incredibly important. We've now had over 250 market access achievements since we've come to office, and that's by again industry working with Government, and it's also the careful considered work that our Government has done in terms of international relations. Prime Minister Carney from Canada is welcome in Australia, and I'm sure that there will be discussions around how we can further work together on a whole range of issues, but certainly Australian agriculture, our product is extraordinary, and the world wants it, the globe wants it, and that's why our exports are doing so well is because of the quality of our product.

JOURNALIST: Just to branch off that as well, we know agriculture was a major sticking point in the first free trade negotiations with the European Union. As it looks like a deal is now getting close, have you received assurances perhaps from Don Farrell that agriculture is going to be promoted much better in a deal with the EU?

COLLINS: What I would say is that our Government has always been really clear that we want the best deal for Australian agriculture. We want a deal that's good overall for the country, and that has been Minister Farrell's priority when it comes to discussions. The other thing I would say is that our Government has a track record of delivering when it comes to trade diversification for Australian agriculture

ENDS