John McVeigh
Agriculture Minister John McVeigh is encouraging Queensland agri-businesses and communities to have their say on the State’s future plan for agriculture.
Mr McVeigh said consultation on “Queensland’s Agriculture Strategy: A 2040 vision to double the value of production” was now open.
The consultation paper – and more information – is available online.
Submissions close at 5:00pm on December 7, 2012.
“The Newman Government is committed to working with agri-businesses and the community to grow agriculture as one of the four pillars of the Queensland economy,” Mr McVeigh said.
“This consultation process is the first step in working with the agriculture sector to develop a strategy to ensure it is efficient, innovative, and profitable in the long term.”
Mr McVeigh said Queensland’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries were estimated to have a production value of $14.7 billion (2011-12), employ over 90,000 people, and generate export earnings of over $5.4 billion.
“Queensland’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries face significant challenges going forward,” he said.
“We must consider global economic uncertainties, a high Australian dollar and increasing production costs, as well as competition for resources, biosecurity risks and seasonal variability.
“However, opportunities exist for significant growth.
“The global population is expected to increase from 7 billion to almost 9 billion by 2040, characterised by the increasingly affluent and growing global middle class, particularly in Asia.
“Queensland is strategically placed to supply growing demand from our neighbouring countries, and contribute to global food security as a significant food bowl for Asia.”
- Download a draft copy of the Agriculture Strategy (378kb PDF)
