Address at ABARES Outlook Conference 2025
Each year, this event provides us with a fantastic opportunity to gather and consider the trends that will shape our industry over the next 12 months.
Our nation and our farmers are in an excellent position, according to the latest data from ABARES.
The data shows that Australian agriculture is continuing to successfully export across a huge range of commodities and markets.
In some cases – beef and sheepmeat especially – it has been a record period of growth.
This, combined with new and renewed opportunities in key markets, paints a very positive picture.
This is, of course, a testament to the hard work of Australia’s farmers, fishers, foresters, the workers in those industries and the whole ag supply chain.
Our Government is proud to be backing Australian agriculture to succeed.
And since coming to Government in 2022 we have been delivering for Australian farmers and producers.
Strengthening biosecurity.
Boosting the ag workforce.
Opening up new trade opportunities.
Improving on-farm climate resilience.
The figures being released today show our Government’s hard work is bearing fruit for Australian farmers.
And these are numbers that are worth celebrating.
Total export values of agricultural products in 2024 were valued at $69.7 billion.
Two of our three largest exports were at record levels, with beef valued at $14.1 billion and sheep meat at $5.2 billion.
But what is truly noteworthy about the last 12 months is the diversification of our exports.
Our beef and sheepmeat values have always been among our strongest, and we have long had successful and lucrative relations with the United States, the European Union and Asia.
But these past 12 months have seen new markets coming online, big markets easing restrictions on trade, and new products finding huge audiences.
For example, last year our chickpea volumes were 1.6 million tonnes – that’s up 107%.
Our export values were $1.7 billion - up 202%.
We’re sending a huge amount of pulses and grains to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
We’ve opened up halal meat exports in Malaysia.
Our dairy export values rose 15% in the past year, to $3.7 billion.
Australia’s network of free trade agreements has continued to deliver valuable opportunities for our red meat, grain, seafood, wine, horticulture and other agricultural industries.
These include agreements with the United Kingdom and India, and the recently signed trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, which will deliver even more market access opportunities when implemented.
The central message here is that the world wants our produce, and our government is laser focussed on ensuring that we can take advantage of these opportunities.
In 2024, our Government recorded a total of 83 technical market access achievements.
This includes 28 actions to maintain and 7 to restore existing markets worth $2 billion, alongside opening 11 new markets and making 37 improvements to existing access.
We’ve stabilised and grown our relationship with our biggest trading partner too.
China was Australia’s largest single export destination for agriculture, fisheries and forestry products last financial year, worth 24% of our total at $17.1 billion.
That’s up from 21% of our total share in the previous 12 months, thanks in no small part to the work we have been doing to open up the flow of trade between our two countries.
As a result of our Government’s deliberate, patient and calibrated approach, the $20 billion worth of trade impediments on Australian exports that we inherited from the Liberals and Nationals have been removed.
Australian live rock lobster featured on Chinese tables as they celebrated the lunar new year for the first time in years.
This is good news for China, and great news for our sector.
Now, you’re probably already aware of what we’ve done in China, or the United Arab Emerites or the United Kingdom or India.
But the past 12 months have been about so much more.
For example, in 2024 we’ve improved and modernised export certification for a range of non-prescribed goods to Singapore.
We’ve created new market access for Australian honey and edible apiculture products to be exported to Vietnam, which also received Australian plums in great numbers for the first time.
We’ve improved access through formalising and reducing regulatory burden for hides and skins exported to Brazil, not to mention access for table grapes to Japan, and Queen Bees to Canada.
And under our Government Australia’s agricultural trade is now the most diversified it has ever been.
We have worked hard on diversifying our export opportunities and mending relationships with key trading partners.
Our nation exports around 70 per cent of our agricultural, fisheries and forestry production to 169 markets globally.
This represents the hard work of our farmers and producers, but also the hard work of our department.
We know our front-line public servants have been working around the clock to strengthen our trading relationships.
Our Department and our Government, working hand in hand, have helped open new opportunities for Australian farmers.
That’s why Labor supports a strong public service.
Their knowledge and hard work is essential as the Government delivers on its commitments to the Australian people, our farmers and the ag sector.
This includes the work of our experts at ABARES, who are responsible for today’s data, and officers working in our biosecurity system.
At the core of a strong biosecurity system is a strong public service -
... the biosecurity officers at our nation’s airports and seaports monitoring for pests and diseases.
... the scientists in laboratories across the country, investigating the latest global threats to Australia’s world-class produce.
.... the experts at our purpose-built national training facility in Brisbane teaching the next generation of detector dogs.
Every single part of this system, working together, is important.
Failures in our biosecurity system have the potential to punch a $92 billion hole in our nation’s agriculture industry and our economy.
This would hurt our farmers and risk our nation’s hard-won reputation for high quality and pest and disease-free produce.
It puts at risk the very figures that we are rightly celebrating today.
So I want to reiterate today our Government’s commitment to a strong biosecurity system.
And to a strong public service.
This system is also a critical element of Australia’s food security.
I want to reassure you that our Government takes the issue of food security seriously.
Our Government has already undertaken significant work to improve food security and the Australian food system – including our new investments in biosecurity and in reducing emissions and climate resilience.
But we know there is more work to do.
We have been listening to industry and to the community.
And today I announce we are taking new action.
Today I am pleased to say that a re-elected Albanese Labor Government will develop Feeding Australia – a national food security strategy.
Feeding Australia will be a plan for farmers and a plan for all Australians.
Crucially, food security reduces the price volatility of produce, helping to provide cost-of-living relief to all Australian consumers.
While Australia is able to feed much more than twice over our own population, we are exposed to global supply and demand pressures, climate change and other risks.
Feeding Australia will address these issues so that our farmers can face the future with confidence.
And so our friends and neighbours can continue to rely on Australia as a safe and secure source to help feed their countries.
The Government will establish a National Food Council, comprising industry and community experts, to advise on the development and implementation of the strategy, and bring together the important work already done in this critical area.
The Government will also strategically examine the potential and opportunity to grow a biofuels feedstock industry to support Australia’s transition to net zero.
Our Government is committed to continue delivering.
Delivering for trading partners. For Australians. And for Australian farmers and producers.
By opening up new trade opportunities.
Improving on-farm climate resilience.
Boosting the ag workforce.
Strengthening biosecurity.
And today’s important announcement - the development of a new national food security strategy: Feeding Australia.
Our approach has been delivering for Australian farmers and producers.
And today’s figures prove that.
Our Government knows that Australian farmers and producers are the best in the world.
They’re smart, tough, innovative, resilient, and so much more.
They’re achieving great success, right across our vast and varied country.
And our Government will always back them.
To make sure that the success of Australian agriculture continues and grows.
Thank you for your time today, and have a fantastic Outlook.
ENDS