WHILE it is tempting to focus on the challenges 2020 has posed, the real story of the past 12 months in WA agriculture is one to be celebrated.
In the face of a global pandemic and a damaging trade war, our farmers have stepped up to the plate – and the industry is thriving.
When the pandemic broke out at the start of the year, as supermarket shelves ran bare in a frenzy of panic buying, we were safe in the knowledge that WA’s farmers had our backs – that we produce enough food to feed the State several times over.
As movement restrictions were imposed across WA, between States and internationally, we recognised the importance of agriculture and put in place exemptions to ensure farmers could continue their work producing the food and fibre we need.
And through their hard work, our farmers got the crop in and they’re getting the crop off.
There is no doubt that the Federal government poking the China bear for domestic political advantage has created risk for our farmers.
The barley ban closed down our biggest export market overnight, and every week we see a new restriction imposed on Australian product – wheat, beef, lamb, wine, lobster and more.
But the industry – farmers and grain handlers – moved quickly to secure alternatives, and barley prices have not crashed, and barley remains a viable crop.
Equally, as the year wraps up, prices for lamb, beef, wheat and wool are strong.
Farming continues to be a profitable business.
Of course there have been challenges in 2020 – and this unprecedented year has highlighted structural issues in WA agriculture that need to be addressed.
When international passenger flights tanked in March, we lost our main avenue for air freight exports of fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood.
Our government moved quickly to maintain our hard-fought markets, subsidising flights to Singapore for WA pork and working closely with the Federal government as they implemented the International Freight Assistance Mechanism.
International flights will return, but this won’t be the last pandemic and we need to build resilience in our export supply chains.
Just last week at Irongate farm in the Great Southern, we provided a $100,000 grant to support the Gilmour family move from airfreighting their Wagyu beef product to South East Asia to sea freight.
Sea freight offers a more reliable option for exports, and with the right investment in technology, we can move more of our exports on ships.
The loss of an international workforce through COVID has been an enormous challenge for industry, and there is no easy fix.
Our advertising campaign and incentive scheme for local workers are paying off, with more than 600 applications received for the scheme – with more than 40 per cent relocating to the Wheatbelt to assist the grain harvest.
We have also restarted the Seasonal Worker Program, with the first plane load of 162 Vanuatu workers quarantining in WA set to arrive before Christmas – and another to follow in early January.
But again – while international borders will eventually reopen, we need to strengthen our local workforce options, so local training is important.
We’re investing $8 million at Muresk Institute to bolster agricultural machinery training, providing free introductory short courses in agriculture and horticulture, and have slashed TAFE fees for agricultural training.
We’re running shearing camps across the State and a pastoral college in the north to tap into opportunities for greater Aboriginal employment in the sector.
There is no overnight fix for this issue, but a bigger local workforce is a win-win for our regional communities.
And while we continue to encourage the Federal government to tone down the rhetoric on China and work to rebuild the relationship, diversifying our product and markets will be critical to the ongoing resilience of our export industries.
R&D is central to this effort.
We need a pipeline of new varieties and products to allow industry to remain agile – which is why we continue our efforts to rebuild DPIRD’s research and development program, and why we have boosted our investment into AEGIC.
Despite the international border closures, we’re also continuing to market Western Australian produce in emerging markets in South East and East Asia – including a brilliant series of ‘wine master classes’ held virtually over the past three months with leading sommeliers in Japan (with real wine sent to Tokyo, of course).
Again, this is long-term work – but critical work for the future of WA agriculture.
At last year’s Perth Royal Show, thousands of young Western Australians took the opportunity to ‘Thank a Farmer’ – to write a message of gratitude to WA’s growers for their extraordinary work and the food and fibre they produce.
This year’s show was another COVID casualty, but I know that in 2020, more than ever, Western Australians will go into Christmas thanking our farmers for their incredible efforts throughout this year.
As we head into 2021, our industry is as strong as ever – so have a brilliant Christmas, rest up and prepare for a good year ahead.
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