NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin has urged the Australian Government to embrace primary production following the Treasurer's Budget speech.
On Tuesday night Treasurer Jim Chalmers mentioned "productivity" 19 times as he handed down the 2026/27 federal budget, talking about making the economy more productive.
"Confidence about the year ahead has collapsed among farmers, with 80 per cent expecting business conditions to worsen over the next 12 months because of the war in Iran," Mr Martin said.
"The people who grow the healthy plants and animals that literally feed and clothe our nation are ready to pull on their boots and get to work, but we need government to put in place policies and funding that unlocks that productivity."
Mr Martin said agriculture literally could not function without diesel or fertiliser, and while the government's multi-billion-dollar commitment to improve onshore stockpiles was welcome, 50 days was still well short of the 90-days farmers wanted.
"We strongly urge the government to commit to a clear pathway to the 90 days of stockpiles we have agreed to under the International Energy Agency framework, and ensure agriculture is explicitly prioritised if supplies run short," he said.
"NSW Farmers has been sounding the alarm on fuel security for a decade, and this crisis has brought the issue of agricultural supply chains and food security to the fore.
"We must never let Australia get into this mess again."
While the Budget contained some positive items - such as the Instant Asset Write Off being made permanent - there were also big questions about agricultural workforces, tax settings and where funding from productive investments such as Inland Rail have actually gone.
"These papers are very fresh and very dense, so the detail on capital gains and trusts needs to be worked through," Mr Martin said.
"But the government must remember farm businesses operate on razor thin margins, so we need an iron-clad guarantee that farming businesses and the critical issue of succession planning - the next generation of farmers - are also recognised."
