The second annual National Agriculture Day has been used to celebrate the the achievements and contribution farmers make to Australia, despite many doing it tough with the drought.
The National Farmers' Federation says this year's theme ‘Grow for Good’. It’s all about highlighting the progress our industry is making each year by farming smarter and more sustainably.
“There is a great story to tell about Australian agriculture,” NFF CEO Tony Mahar said. “Whether it’s strengthening communities by providing jobs; growing more food and fibre to meet surging demand; or taking better care of our planet – each year we’re improving what we do, and making the world a better place to live.”
The NFF has also used the day to highlight the need for young people to become more aware of their food sources.
The 2018 National Agriculture Day Poll found that almost a quarter (23%) of people aged between 18-29 said they do not care how their food is grown. It also found that more than half (52%) of people in this age range felt disconnected with farming and uninformed about the industry. Mr Mahar says the apathy is cause for concern.
“This is meant to be a demographic with a deep social conscience, yet almost one in four couldn’t care less how the food they put in their mouths is grown,” Mr Mahar said. “While some might say this is a credit to the quality, safety and abundance of food and fibre we produce in Australia, it’s troubling that as a country we’re growing increasingly disconnected from life’s essentials. We have to do a better job at getting in front of the community, and having an open and honest conversation about what we do. Otherwise we risk seeing generations of Australians with no understanding of where their food and fibre comes from.”
Photo source: Australian Department of Agriculture & Water Resources twitter
AUSVEG used AgDay to highlight the growing value of fresh Australian vegetable exports, which increased by three per cent to AU$262.4 million in 2017/18, while in this time, the volume of fresh vegetable exports also increased by nine per cent to 208,000 tonnes. AUSVEG's National Manager – Export Development, Michael Coote says the whole vegetable category averaging 10 per cent year-on-year growth over the past three years.
“Carrots are the number one traded fresh vegetable commodity by both volume and value, with steady year-on-year growth over a sustained period of time indicating that demand for Australian carrots remains strong,” Mr Coote said. “Over 85 per cent of Australia’s fresh vegetable export volume is comprised of carrots, potatoes and onions. However, we still see positive growth in some other categories, including asparagus, which despite only comprising two per cent of fresh vegetable exports by volume, make up 11 per cent of fresh vegetable export trade by value and are the second highest value fresh vegetable commodity at AUD28 million.”
The top five markets for fresh vegetable exports by value in 2017/18 were Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong, while the top five markets for fresh vegetable exports by volume were the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.
New South Wales Farmers' President notes 2018 has been a challenging year for farmers across the state, who are facing one of the worst droughts in over 100 years, but says their value as high-quality producers of food should not be underestimated. The latest figures by the Department of Primary Industries show that prior to the impacts of drought, NSW exports had grown by 22 per cent year on year to $6.3 billion.
“We often take for granted being able to buy a box of cherries at the local markets, but that’s not the case for millions of people across the world,” he said. “Now more than ever we’re seeing countries, like China, with a growing middle-class showing great interest in our clean and green food. We’re living in a state with one of the most active food bowls in the southern hemisphere, and that’s something to celebrate this National Ag Day.”
The NFF sharing the 'Grow for Good' message in Melbourne (Source: Twitter)
Queensland Farmers' Federation President Stuart Armitage recognised that Queensland farmers account for about 24 per cent of Australia’s overall production value, and he sector is worth almost $20 billion and represents 15 per cent of Queensland’s total exports. Horticulture alone is worth $3 billion, with 2,800 farms and 120 different types of fruit and vegetables.
He said National Agriculture Day provided an opportunity to not only celebrate, but also educate the public about the critical role farmers play.
“While our farmers and rural communities are tough, they have faced several challenges this year with damaging storms, a protracted drought and food tampering issues,” Mr Armitage said. “Buying local produce and paying a fair price for it is the best way Queensland consumers can support the agricultural sector. By doing so, they will continue to play an active role in helping to build more resilient farming businesses and ensure a bright future for Queensland agriculture.”
For the first time in history, the value of agriculture production exceeded $60 billion in 2016-2017, according to the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
For more information visit: www.agday.org.au