State Government plans to double Queensland’s agriculture, including food production, by 2040 underpin the state’s Agriculture Strategy, released at FarmFest in Toowoomba yesterday.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister John McVeigh said the “2040 vision” strategy marks a major milestone in plans to revitalize and expand the industry.

“We’re determined to become a major, high-quality food producer of choice for Asia’s growing middle classes. This strategy will help deliver the goods,” he said.

Mr McVeigh outlined a plan for growth based on 60 initiatives across government, grouped into four areas:

• Securing and increasing resource availability;
• Driving productivity growth across the supply chain;
• Securing and increasing market access; and
• Minimising production costs.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry department will lead 31 of the 60, including:

• Continuing to strengthen biosecurity systems to make Queensland the best prepared state to prevent and combat foot and mouth disease;
• Improving agricultural skills and career pathways; and
• Implementing the Agricultural Extension Plan focusing on industries including beef, horticulture, sugar and broadacre cropping.

Queensland Farmers' Federation CEO Dan Galligan said yesterday the Agriculture Strategy was a positive document that underscored the intent of the government, and the sector welcomed the recognition of its current and future importance to the State economy.

“It is a blueprint for growing the value of the agriculture sector. But there is obviously a long way to go, and many more policies will be needed before ‘construction’ actually begins.

“The strategy hits on all the right principles that underpin growth; it shows the Minister really understands the framework within which farmers operate.  However, it will be how industry and government work together on these issues that will enable individual farmers to become more profitable and productive that will deliver a stronger agriculture sector that benefits all of Queensland,” Mr Galligan said.

Mr McVeigh said action must be taken to help industry become more resilient as it faced significant challenges, not least being the high Australian dollar, and declining terms of trade.

A recent Department report said estimates of the net effect of recent flooding across central and south-eastern Queensland suggest the state’s primary producers are around $300 million worse off from crop and livestock losses alone.

Queensland is the national leader in land use for agriculture, and in terms of value, produces the most livestock, poultry, sugarcane, bananas, citrus fruit, tomatoes, beans, capsicum and lettuce, according to the Queensland Agricultural Land Audit release late last month.

Port Douglas and Mossman form part of Far North Queensland's canegrower region. Sugar is one of Australia’s most important rural industries, worth over $1.5-$2.5 billion to the Australian economy.

In April 2013, the total value of Queensland’s primary industry commodities for 2012-13 (including GDV of production and first-round processing) was forecast to be $14.7 billion.