Rural
3 December, 2023
Food prices to rise
Queensland's peak representative body for farmers has warned that food prices will go up and food security will become more precarious in the wake of the latest deal on the Murray Darling Basin Plan legislation.
With the current cost of living crisis facing many Australians, AgForce CEO Mike Guerin said they could ill-afford sudden price rises for food as well, that would result from this latest deal to amend the Murray Darling Basin Plan brokered with the Greens.
“This political precedent, of overriding a bipartisan plan many years in development – if it goes through, actually means food security and food pricing is at risk in Australia,” Mr Guerin said.
“What we’ve taken for granted for multiple generations of cheap, healthy, locally sourced food on our supermarket shelves seven days a week, 365 days a year will be put at risk.”
Leading agricultural group AgForce raised concerns after the Albanese government and the Greens reached a breakthrough deal on legislation to amend the Murray Darling Basin plan and ensure an extra 450 gigalitres of environmental flows.
The deal also removes a cap on buybacks that was introduced by the previous government. Mr Guerin said industry was incredibly disappointed, mainly because of the ramifi cations of the decision.
