I WANT to make one thing clear - the Gillard Government remains committed to the live export trade.
There is no doubt industry self-regulation has failed the live animal export trade and the realisation of this came in a way that horrified both producers and the wider community.
Both Government and industry have now taken significant steps forward to ensure transparency, traceability and accountability of our exporters to cement animal welfare as a matter of central importance to this trade.
By doing this, we have secured a bright, strong future for our live export trade.
By the end of this year all Australian livestock exported for slaughter will be tracked to ensure international animal welfare standards are met.
These reforms are not easy and will take commitment from industry to ensure we meet this timeframe. However, they are essential to securing a long-term future for the trade and for the jobs, families and communities that rely on it.
In 2011 the Gillard Government took important steps, on an industry-by-industry basis, to improve our export certification process. We have already announced packages to support the meat industry, the grains industry, and a program with the citrus industry.
The Government will continue to work closely with other export sectors to improve delivery arrangements across the board.
The Gillard Government believes in Australia's farmers and their farming future.
We believe in driving innovation in the agriculture sector and will continue to match dollar for dollar funding for research and development corporations.
We believe in maintaining our food security by developing Australia's first ever National Food Plan. It will ensure Australians have access to nutritious and affordable food, and support the food industry from paddock through to plate.
The plan will focus on issues ranging from competition for land use, to trade, to global food security, to food supply chain relationships.
And we believe in driving productivity and growth by boosting Australia's trade relationships and reducing barriers to trade.
Agricultural exports are worth about $30 billion to Australia's economy annually. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and many other agreements to be negotiated throughout this year offer opportunities for our producers, including those in the red meat, dairy, horticulture, grain and wine industries.
Australia is world-renowned for the quality and safety of our agricultural produce and our reliability as a trading partner. Maintaining this standing is pivotal to the success of our agricultural trade.
Australia's agricultural sector is diverse in climate, produce and location. But our producers and farmers are united by a common passion for their work.
During my travels from Broome to the Barossa, Mildura to Mackay, Kiama to Katherine and everywhere in between, that passion and commitment has been clear, regardless of the farming operation.
Australian farmers care about their environment, their operation and their produce. Being welcomed into communities and onto properties and hearing about what you do and how you do it is always a privilege.
As we begin 2012, the Australian Year of the Farmer, I look forward to not only celebrating our producers, but also working with industry to ensure they remain some of the most highly regarded and productive in the world.
* Joe Ludwig is the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Minister Assisting on Flood Recovery and a Senator for Queensland.
Email a friend