FARMERS from across the region met with the Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Emma Kealy, and The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland in Seymour to discuss current farming production challenges.
The group discussed policy and legislative changes that are impacting the Victorian agricultural industry; grants that are available for agricultural shows and farmers in the region; recent Victorian parliamentary inquiries into animal welfare, and finished with a Q&A session where all concerns could be raised.
Ms Cleeland said local farmers had been left understandably frustrated by the lack of support from the state government.
“Some of the concerns raised by local farmers demonstrate this government’s blatant disregard for our agricultural industry,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Whether it be overbearing and ideologically based animal welfare legislation, the lack of Authority to Control Wildlife (ATCW) permits for kangaroos being issued, or the failure to confirm the future of the wild dog program that allows farmers to protect their livestock, it is clear that it’s getting harder to farm under the current government.
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“Farmers keep food on our tables and are the cornerstone of our local economy, but Labor seemingly has no plans to support them.
“We listened to producers who are unable to cell graze or properly manage their land to the best environmental standards due to the extraordinary grazing pressures.”
One farmer said their ATCW permits had cut from 200 to 30 in recent years.
Producers shared their personal experience with devastating wild dog attacks, with one local incident resulting in 70 sheep mauled within a week.
The Nationals have called on the Agriculture Minster to put an end to the uncertainty around the Wild Dog Program by announcing recurrent funding immediately.
“The government seems to believe the solution lies in farmers installing better fencing, and while this is undoubtedly a significant part of control measures, it cannot be solely relied upon,” Ms Cleeland said.
Ms Kealy said the state government has regularly failed to listen to landholders and the agricultural sector, particularly when it came to renewable energy projects.
Labor’s renewable energy body VicGrid released a draft map combined with guidelines of priority renewable energy zones, with the guidelines barely mentioning agriculture or farming as considerations.
“This sends a devastatingly clear message to our food and fibre producers that Labor does not care about the massive impact this plan will have on farmers’ ability to grow the produce that feeds the people of our state,” Ms Kealy said.
“No-one is arguing that our power delivery system needs upgrading, but there are ways to achieve this without gutting prime agricultural land."
