Agriculture Minister Mark Furner says Tuesday's state budget is one that has delivered in supporting primary producers.
Unveiled in the budget was the state government's plan to develop programs to support drought-affected producers and assist in drought preparedness.
Speaking to Queensland Country Life on Wednesday morning, Mr Furner said the measures ranged from developing a business resilience plan, to capital improvements and low interest loans.
"In terms of the drought assistance, it is clearly in line with the National Drought Agreement, where we need to prepare primary producers for future droughts," Mr Furner said.
The government committed funding of up to $71.4 million over four years from 2021-22 to the Queensland Drought Assistance and Reform Package.
Up to $44.4m (held centrally) of this funding amount is being provided to continue to meet the government's commitment to maintain existing measures in the current drought assistance package.
Drought preparedness measures will receive $27m over four years (and $50m in loans per annum for four years). This funding will be used to implement Queensland Drought Reforms, which includes the new Farm Business Resilience Program, Farm Management Grants, Drought Preparedness Grants, Drought Ready and Recovery Finance Loans, Emergency Drought Assistance Loans and Drought Carry-on Finance Loans.
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"Furthermore, the current DRAS [Drought Relief Assistance Scheme] will continue, and will continue until such time as our primary producers are no longer in drought. That's a commitment we made when we went through the drought review," Mr Furner said.
According to Queensland Farmers' Federation, the budget appeared to be all style and not enough substance.
QFF CEO Dr Georgina Davis said the budget's headline numbers could not disguise that it was again a missed opportunity to address some critical productivity issues and exciting growth opportunities that would benefit the sector following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"QFF commends the state government for investing $71.4m over four years in the Queensland Drought Assistance and Reform Package to support farmers experiencing the impacts of drought on their properties and ensuring this assistance is more equitable across the state's various agricultural commodities," Dr Davis said.
"However, the budget failed to abolish stamp duty on agricultural insurance and establish a Discretionary Mutual Fund to provide a flexible option for crop insurance and empower farmers with a long-term, industry-owned tool for managing risk for when the rain does fall."
AgForce general president Georgie Somerset said the drought funding commitment guaranteed there would be no changes to current support already in place.
"What it adds, however, is greater access for producers to programs that focus on preparation and resilience for the inevitable droughts that will develop in the coming years," Ms Somerset said.
Mr Furner was excited to see funding committed for the fourth round of the Rural Economic Development Grants Program. Total funding for this program is now $16.6m over five years, with $3.3m allocated in 2021-22.
He said the first three rounds of the scheme had created 1800 jobs across regional Queensland and the new investment would create 600 more.
"This will certainly deliver hundreds of jobs like we've seen in the past rounds," Mr Furner said.
"The sooner we can get that moving, the better, and seeing those jobs it generates in the regions."
"What it adds, however, is greater access for producers to programs that focus on preparation and resilience for the inevitable droughts that will develop in the coming years.
- Georgie Somerset
The government also announced a new Regional Agricultural Development scheme to support sheep and wool producers.
"Since 2015 we have provided more than $60 million in loans and grants for cluster fencing across western Queensland," Mr Furner said.
"Producers are telling us lambing rates are increasing. The $4m RAD scheme will back our farmers to rebuild the infrastructure needed to expand our sheep industry."
To finalise long-term decisions on the former Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges assets, there will be increased funding of $10.9m (and $5.9m in capital funding over three years). This will include plans to develop a Smart Cropping Centre at Emerald.
LNP agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said the agriculture budget had completely failed the industries it is supposed to service and support.
"The Minister boasts about spending funds to "finalise long term decisions" about agricultural education assets," Mr Perrett said.
"He is working out what he's going to do after he already shamefully closed our premier Queensland Agriculture Colleges.
"The government has already sold agricultural education assets and is now funding plans on working out what it's going to do.
This will certainly deliver hundreds of jobs like we've seen in the past rounds.
- Mark Furner
"The spend is spread over five years and only equals about a third of what they've made from the recent asset fire sale of only one property."
An additional $2.6m in 2021-22 has been allocated to improve the implementation of the federal government's Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Program.
Growcom chief executive Stephen Barnard said they were disappointed the government didn't deliver through the budget greater interventions to secure the state's labour supply.
He said the worker shortage has meant crops have been left unharvested in the field and growers are severely scaling back future plantings.
"Queensland supplies much of the nation's vegetables through winter. It's a job we take seriously, and yet we don't have the people to get our great produce to market and on kitchen tables. It disappointing as an industry, and devastating for individual businesses," Mr Barnard said.
Funding of $1.1m ongoing from 2024-25 has been committed to address the African swine fever threat. Mr Furner said this would kick in once the $8.8m over four years for biosecurity measures concluded.