His comments this morning follow yesterday's vote by shareholders in South Australian-based grain handler, ABB, allowing a takeover by Canadian agri-giant, Viterra.

Mr Burke did not seem concerned by growing foreign interest in Australian grain firms.

"In a global economy you find increased interest from overseas in agriculture in Australia and increased Australian opportunities for investing overseas," Mr Burke said.

"It goes in both directions and part of the quality of the innovation of Australian agriculture is one of the reasons why that interest is there."

Mr Burke believes the growing international interest in Australian agribusiness stemmed from the food crisis which boiled over last year.

"There's been an increase in that interest globally following the developments in the food crisis last year and many nations which are food importers are seeing co-investment as something they want to deal with for their own food security," Mr Burke said.

"But agriculture like everything else in the global economy is affected by global markets."