Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister update the House on what action this government is taking to support dairy farmers both in my electorate of Page and across Australia?

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the—

Honourable members interjecting—

I call the honourable member for agriculture. There was so much noise, it was hard to hear the beginning. I call the honourable member for agriculture.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am a little bit crestfallen that you have forgotten about me already. I thank the honourable member for Page for his question. It is very apt coming from his part of the world. In his part of the world, Norco have done a great job. They are currently exporting 30,000 litres of milk a week fresh into China, where they are getting between $7 and $9 a litre. What this actually means is that the farm gate price in that area has gone up to 56 cents per litre. The work that my department has been doing in getting the protocols right and working with the dairy farmers of that area has been absolutely exceptional. That is a record price, and it is happening under this government. It shows that a change of government and a change of circumstances has produced a better outcome for the people of Page.

It is also important to understand that this is not unique to the people of Page; we have also seen improvements in the dairy industry across our nation. These are good figures. The value of our exports has gone up by 35 per cent in butter; in skim milk powder by 52 per cent; and in whole milk powder by 71 per cent. Our total exports in dairy have gone up by 22 per cent. Our exports in dairy to China have gone up by 46 per cent. These are great numbers. Murray Goulburn, our biggest exporter of dairy, have a record price of 51 cents a litre at the farm gate. Their actual sales revenue has gone up by 17.8 per cent and their milk solids price has gone up by 37 per cent. Isn't it marvellous what a difference we have made in one year!

You might just think that this is just with dairy, but I have other figures. Meat and meat preparations have gone up by 29 per cent under us and close to 10 per cent is the increase for total rural goods—under our government and the changes that we have made. In addition, today—and this is hot off the press—we have the headline 'Victorian dairy farmers post a sixfold increase in earnings'. That is the sort of difference those who actually understand business can make. That is the difference that our side of the chamber makes.

But there are alternate policies: you could go back to the policy of Senator Joe Ludwig and close down the live cattle trade; you could go back to the policy of the member for Lilley and bring back the carbon tax; or you could go back to the policy of the member for Lilley and bring back the mining tax. But there is only one thing that is going to save them—and that is us.