Leader of the Federal National Party and Shadow Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud, appeared on the Country Viewpoint program last week to discuss a range of topics, including the current pressures on Australian farmers.
Littleproud addressed adversities he says Australian farmers are currently grappling with, such as the repercussions of the live sheep exports ban and the removal of the Australian Agriculture Visa.
"To our farmers I'd say, hold on, they feel as though they're under siege from this government, but to those that walk into a shop and whether it be a grocery shop or whether it be a workplace, the commitment and the effort of our Australian farmers shouldn't be taken for granted," Littleproud said.
"If they're not given the right environment to create that, growing your food and fiber, then invariably they leave and your food and fiber goes up in price, that's what's happening at the moment."
The Member for Maranoa also emphasised the significance of the National Farmers Federation (NFF) being at loggerheads with the government for the first time in decades through its "Keep Farmers Farming" campaign.
"This government in just 18 months in an unprecedented way, we haven't seen for 40 odd years, we've now seen that the NFF has a full on campaign against the federal government," said Littleproud.
"That has not happened for 40 years, and it's all because of them banning live sheep, taking away the agricultural visa, it's about a biosecurity tax on farmers to pay for their foreign competitors to bring their product into this country and treat the biosecurity risk of their competitors so they can put their product on Australian shelves against Australian farmers, which is just abhorrent in any shape you can think of.
"It's the transmission lines and solar panels that are going across and tearing up our food security. So there's a lot that our farmers are bearing at the moment and there's also the Murray Darling."
Littleproud also acknowledged the new head honcho of the peak body of Australian farming, David Jochinke, who also appeared on Flow's Country Viewpoint when his presidency was announced last month.
"All credit to the NFF, I think they've been quiet for a while but now they've found their voice in the new President, David Jochinke, I think he has done a good job in setting the tone and saying that he's not going to stand for it and we're going to stand with him," Littleproud said.
"I've had my blues with the NFF, mainly because I was concerned they weren't saying enough and this is why DJ's (David Jochinke) done a great job in coming out and coming out strong on the first day that he was elected as president, that he was going to stand up and take this government on.
"I think it's important we just understand that things are all pretty tough on the land, but governments don't need to make it tough for them (farmers) and that's what's happening with this government."
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