Tuesday, 5 March 2024

Constituency questions

Eastern Victoria Region

Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (12:51): (704) My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. Fruits, wine, wool, meat, dairy, vegetables – we grow it all. Victoria is home to an amazing agriculture industry that produces some of the best food products anywhere in the world. In 2021–22 our state’s gross value of agricultural production reached a new record high of over $20 billion, employing around 154,000 Victorians, of course living mostly in our regions. Many of these workers and farms are in Gippsland and on the Mornington Peninsula, and they are the people and businesses that keep our amazing towns thriving and put food on all of our plates. Recently I went out on farms in Mirboo North and Arawata, and at the Foster show I discussed and saw firsthand the work farmers and regional communities are doing to futureproof their industry. Minister, how is the government supporting Victorian farmers, including those in Eastern Victoria, to continue growing the world’s best produce?