Australia is a trading nation, and no one knows that better than our farmers.
Around 70 per cent of Australia's agricultural production is exported.
Demand for Australian-made food and fibre shows no signs of slowing, with the world continuing to buy our agricultural products in record volumes.
Australian agriculture, fisheries and forestry exports were valued at more than $75 billion in the previous financial year, with the gross value of production increasing by 30 per cent in real terms throughout the past 20 years.
It is something every Australian benefits from, and should be proud of, particularly in our regional and rural communities.
But our government knows the tremendous responsibility we have to support this success and help build on it.
Since day one, we have made trade and biosecurity central pillars in our agriculture agenda, understanding that for our farmers to succeed globally, our government needs to back them both at home and abroad.
We have put securing outcomes for our farmers at the centre of our trading relationships, advocating for Australian agriculture on the global stage.
My recent trip to Australia's closest neighbour, Indonesia, underscores this effort.
Building on the productive discussions during the Prime Minister's visit to Indonesia in May, I was able finalise a number of positive outcomes for Australian farmers.
This includes a new wheat protocol agreement which will maintain access for Australia's largest export to Indonesia, and a new bilateral protocol that will allow exports of Australian-rendered products to Indonesia.
With exports of rendered products previously estimated to be worth more than $100 million annually, it is especially pleasing that the Australian industry is again able to supply their Indonesian customers.
Our focus on nurturing relationships with our partners like Indonesia, even in globally uncertain times, has provided our farmers with the best platform for continued growth.
Since coming into government, we have recorded 231 market access achievements, opening 29 new markets, protecting 81 markets in the face of trade threats, restoring 17 markets where trade was lost, and making 104 improvements to existing markets.
This includes successfully removing trade impediments on $20 billion worth of Australian exports to our largest agricultural trading partner, China.
New free trade agreements with the United Kingdom, India and most recently the United Arab Emirates have unlocked more opportunities for Aussie farmers to export our world-class products, from plums and avocados, to live rock lobsters and queen bees.
A key element in achieving these outcomes is the trust our trading partners place in the safety and reliability of Australia's produce.
That's why our government has never compromised on biosecurity, and never will.
Refusing to compromise on biosecurity means delivering new and expanded resources to protect Australia's prized reputation globally for safe produce.
This is backed by around $2b in new biosecurity funding since we came to government.
These new resources mean that in 2024 biosecurity detector dogs intercepted over 42,000 items at our borders and in our mailrooms.
And of those 42,000 interceptions, more than 10,000 were caught by the extra 20 detector dogs added to our system by the Albanese Labor Government.
We're boosting our biosecurity frontline and we're rapidly responding to new and emerging threats.
Threats like H5 avian influenza, also known as H5 bird flu.
We know H5 bird flu could have devastating impacts - not only on our agricultural industries, but also our biodiversity and potentially human health.
That's why we're rolling out more than $100m to boost our national preparedness, surveillance and response capability.
These investments will help us mitigate the impacts of H5 bird flu on Australia - supporting our farmers, protecting or agricultural industries and helping us maintain market access and trade.
This is crucial - international trade is a cornerstone of Australia's economic success and is central to our shared prosperity, with one in four jobs related to trade.
Our government will keep working tirelessly to ensure our farmers are at the centre of this success story, benefitting every Australian.
Originally published on the Land, Thursday, 14 August 2025.
