Trade in Food and Live Animals

Ten years ago Australian food exports were 400–500 % higher than imports. They are now barely twice the size of imports. If live animals and processed grain were taken out of these figures, the picture would be far dire, we are already a net importer of fruit and vegetables, pork, and seafood.

At the current rate, within 5 years the country will be a net importer of food and, no matter how you work the figures, within the next 10-15 years we will no longer be able to feed ourselves. Even more daunting, the Murray Darling buy-back scheme will reduce Australian food production by a further 25%. This impact has not been factored into the above figures.

Under the current regime, food production cannot be increased due to bans, restrictions and regulations covering our land. We have failed in our fight against the Greenies who feed on a new victory every 6-12 months. The latest victory has been a temporary suspension of live exports to Indonesia. We have failed in our fight against the free trade zealotry of successive governments. At a public meeting last year AQIS could not name a single application to import fruit, vegetables or meats that they have rejected in the last 7 years – crippling our remaining farms and bring to our shore exotic pests and disease.

AusParty’s Roadmap for the Future offers actions to support Australian farmers with subsidies at similar levels to those given by OECD countries, a stricter regime for importation and inspection and a prominent disclosure warning on foreign produce that doesn’t meet Australia’s health and hygiene standards.

Source: ABS International Trade in Goods and Services / ABS Catalogue 5368.0