Comments attributable to NFF President Hamish McIntyre
The National Farmers' Federation welcomed the opportunity to take part in today's ministerial roundtable convened by Chris Bowen alongside Julie Collins, Tim Ayres and Catherine King.
It was important farmers had a seat at the table and we will continue working closely with Government to ensure agriculture has reliable access to diesel and other critical inputs.
Now is the time for calm, considered and sensible actions during such uncertainty.
Farmers rely on fuel to get food and fibre from paddocks to plates and ports every single day. As we move into the winter cropping season, demand for diesel naturally increases as farmers prepare paddocks and plant crops.
We are already seeing signs of tightening supply and rising costs for key inputs. If farmers can't access reliable and affordable fuel and fertiliser, some may be forced to scale back plantings. That hits farm incomes, agricultural production and food availability.
Australian agriculture has proven its resilience in the past when unnecessary pressure is placed on the system. Staying measured and making smart decisions is critical.
Today's discussion reinforced the importance of agriculture and the food supply chain being front of mind in decisions about fuel supply and distribution.
The NFF is committed working with our members to ensure timely and accurate information is provided to them.
This moment also underlines a broader challenge. Australian farmers remain exposed to global shocks because of our reliance on imported fuel and other inputs.
We believe the Government must explore all options to better understand and protect local food and fibre production from vulnerabilities such as global conflict. We expect the forthcoming national food security plan to address exactly that.
The NFF also strongly supports growing domestic manufacturing capability, including a local biofuels industry. A domestic low-carbon liquid fuels industry would provide economic benefits and diversification opportunities for farm businesses, while also strengthening Australia's long-term sovereign fuel capability.
