GrainGrowers welcomes the announcement of drought measures today by the Federal Government. It is imperative that drought affected communities have access to immediate support. As farmers across Australia continue to face poor conditions, there is a need to alleviate pressure on regional communities while long-term strategic measures are also put in place.
“I welcome the Government’s focus on the agriculture sector and efforts to alleviate the impact as the devastating effects of the drought continue.” said David McKeon, GrainGrowers CEO.
“There is still more work to be done as outlined in GrainGrowers key drought priorities. These have been endorsed by our National Policy Group who are grower representatives and include measures that can be taken to help manage current drought conditions and enable growers to prepare for when it does rain.” said McKeon.
Access to affordable and accessible loans for growers as well as support from the Regional Investment Corporation through the application process have been identified. Applying for loans must not be an added burden on growers during stressful periods. Local government and small businesses are essential to farming communities and require support for a strong regional Australia to continue.
GrainGrowers' additional drought priorities include:
- Relief from financial pressures of council rates;
- Farm management deposits available to all farming business structures;
- Wage support measures for farm workers that enable farmers to retain employees;
- Government assistance to ensure an agricultural income protection market is fully established and available for growers by 2024.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Government to achieve our drought priorities on behalf of our grain farmers whose operations contribute significantly not only to Australia’s economy but frequently underpin the local communities where they are located.” said McKeon.