Speaking on the opening day of Hort Connections in Brisbane, President Fiona Simson says there are so many untapped markets that can provide opportunities for Australian growers and producers.
"The future is bright, if we can get more fruit and veggies overseas, if we can increase those export dollars, if we can increase our share of the export pie," Ms Simson said. "It is really critical that we capture that sweet spot and capture those opportunities and make the most of the potential that is ours for the taking right now."
Ms Simson and the NFF recently visited Europe and the United Kingdom, to discuss opportunities that may open up following Brexit. She found Australian apricots and peaches for up to 50GBP per kilogram at the Harrods food stall, which she says shows there is potential for produce from this part of the world. While, another promising factor, according to Ms Simson is the demand for quality produce, especially throughout Asia.
"Last year I was in Japan, and the Japanese absolutely love the table grapes," she said. "The best thing for me about (Australian) table grapes into Japan is that the local farmers were so nervous about them. They were nervous about whether consumers were still going to eat their table grapes, when they got these wonderful Aussie table grapes. But what they found is that Australian table grapes come in counter seasonal, so in actual fact it keeps consumers eating grapes year round."
The Hort Connections presentation coincided with the release of the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES) Agricultural Commodities Report, which has agricultural production tipped to rise from $60.5 billion in 2017-18 to $61.4 billion in 2018-19, with farm exports forecast to be $47 billion.
The NFF has a vision for farm gate production to reach $100 billion by 2030, and Ms Simson says there needs to be a clear strategy and detailed policies to get there. It earlier this year released a roadmap outlining important factors the industry can utilise and develop to get to the goal, such as: digital agriculture, new markets, infrastructure, research and development and capital growth.
“It is a bold vision but one we think is possible," she added. "We are currently on a trajectory of growth but we need a step-change, a shift to a higher gear, if you like, if we are to reach $100 billion."
Another priority area for the NFF is working on new solutions to help farmers source labour, such as a special "Ag-Visa", to not just get the perfect workforce, but maintaining it.
"We are currently exploring with our members and the horticulture industry a dedicated agriculture visa," Ms Simson said. "Now that visa would allow us to bring workers in on a permanent basis or temporary basis. Certainly access to labour, seasonal labour and long-term permanent labour, we are getting some good signals from government about an 'Ag-Visa', and what that might mean," Ms Simson said. "So for us that's an exciting opportunity, and it is something that horticulture (industry) will be interested in, and we look forward to working more on that to get the policy up."
But the main role of the NFF according to Ms Simson is advocacy, which she says is evolving due to major technological advances, and the globalisation in the online world. She remembers decades ago, the best way to get the attention of policy makers, and the wider public, was to hold rallies, but now, that is not as effective.
"If we wait to organise rallies, if we wait to get people in buses to Canberra, if we wait to make those organisations, policy makers would have moved on," she said. "Public sentiment may have already moved on, and in actual fact we may have missed the boat. Advocacy we think is changing. We wanted to talk to consumers with a united voice, in a way that consumers would understand. That's why we started this platform, to see whether it would work in the e-Advocacy space. We've had more campaigns that have been successful. We have been able to put out their message to consumers on a number of campaigns, which has changed the old way of campaigning."
She adds that it is about making farmers feel a part of the process, rather than just waiting for a committee to make a decision on their behalf, because quick and efficient actions are the only way to help deliver on the industry's goals.
For more information:Fiona Simson
National Farmers' Federation
Phone: +61 2 6269 5666
nff@nff.org.au
www.nff.org.au