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Responses mixed as ag contributions cut in new biosecurity levy model

Agricultural commodity contributions to a proposed biosecurity protection levy have been cut by more than 30 percent under a new model announced by the Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt today.

 

In his opening statement at a Senate Estimates hearing Mr Watt said the biosecurity protection levy will contribute just six percent of the total biosecurity funding model, or about $50 million.

 

He said his department has undertaken extensive consultation over the back half of last year including stakeholder meetings, a survey of industry as well as inviting submissions to be made.

 

“We’ve listened to that feedback and as a result, today I’m announcing that we’re changing the way the biosecurity protection levy is calculated to make it fairer and more transparent,” he said.

 

Beef Central, 13th February 2024.

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NFF conference: Agriculture Minister Murray Watt hits back at farmers’ campaign

Newly elected NFF president David Jochinke said farming was in “the fight of our lives” as he launched the ‘Keep Farmers Farming’ campaign on Thursday, during his at times fiery inaugural speech.

 

“Our farmers are under siege. NFF’s public campaign … is an embarrassment for Minister Watt and the Albanese Labor Government. Every single Australian is feeling the impact of the pain and hurt being put onto farmers, because the end result of Labor’s bad policies are families being forced to pay more for food at the checkout.”

 

When he spoke at the NFF national conference on Thursday, Mr Watt said he was “surprised” the peak farm lobby group had launched the campaign.

 

“I think all of you know that my door is always open to listen, collaborate and for a little fella I think that I’ve got broad shoulders,” he said.

 

“So I was surprised to read … that the NFF is launching a campaign against the government arguing that, and I quote, ‘food and fibre production is not a central priority for the current Federal government’, that Labor is pursuing ‘a niche ideological agenda’ and that ‘Labor is wilfully ignorant of the plight of farmers’.

 

Mr Watt said he believed adding nearly $3 billion in new spending towards agricultural initiatives since Labor took office last May “felt like a central priority”, despite a “tight fiscal environment”.

 

“But I guess that’s just politics … and just like you have good and bad seasons, relationships between governments and political lobby groups will have their ups and downs,” he said.

 

Jason Gregory and Natalie Kotsios, The Weekly Times, 26 October 2023.

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Agriculture Minister Murray Watt calls for clarity over Saputo’s Australian future

Saputo need to be clear about which Australian factories it intends to shut, Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt says.

 

In a speech to Canadian investors last month, company boss Lino Saputo Jnr announced the processor intended to downsize from 11 to five factories in Australia, but did not stipulate which sites were earmarked for closure.

 

A spokeswoman for Saputo this week said: “At this time, beyond the previously announced SDA network optimisation activities, no decisions have been made regarding its manufacturing footprint.”

 

The announcement follows moves by Saputo to sell its Melbourne and Sydney processing sites to Coles supermarket.

 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is examining the deal and recently push back a decision on whether to green light the transaction.

Alex Sinnott, The Weekly Times, October 12, 2023.

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