Dr Anne Webster MP
Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories

Shadow Minister for Regional Communications
Federal Member for Mallee

MEDIA RELEASE

Farmers deserve federal climate carve-out as 40% of fruit & veg growers already considering quitting

Wednesday 17 September 2025

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster has urged the Albanese Labor Government to stick to its pledge to rule out binding greenhouse gas emissions targets on agriculture with a 2035 target imminent, as a major fruit and vegetable industry survey indicates 2 out of 5 growers already intend to down tools.

“Energy Minister Chris Bowen and former Agriculture Minister Murray Watt both pledged previously that agriculture would not have binding emissions targets – they need to stick to that,” Dr Webster said.

“Labor’s respect for farmers is at record lows, if you look at their behaviour in my electorate and regional Victoria, hitting drought-affected farmers with new taxes, railroading them with new transmission lines and hefty fines for standing firm for their property rights.   Australian food security has never been at greater risk.

“Labor needs to respect farmers’ concerted efforts to reduce emissions and the importance - acknowledged in the Paris Climate Agreement, that food security has to come first.”

The 2025 AUSVEG Industry Sentiment Report released this week shows Australia’s food security is at risk, as two in five growers consider leaving the industry.

“Every Australian should be worried that 40 per cent of fruit and vegetable farmers is considering leaving within the next year, with a further 40 per cent saying they would also quit if they had a viable exit strategy,” Dr Webster said.

“It is not that long ago we were paying record prices for lettuce and other vegetables due to supply constraints – the cost-of-living will rise further, prices will be more volatile, biosecurity will be at risk and we will suffer further supply shocks if up to 80 per cent of our growers leave the industry.

Dr Webster noted the survey indicated 62 per cent of farmers were financially worse off compared to 12 months ago, and 53 per cent expected to be worse off by July, 2026.

“The cost of compliance for vegetable growers has gone up to $213 million per annum. This huge cost is also impacting our farmers mentally, with nine in ten reporting negative impacts of compliance audits on their stress levels and mental wellbeing.

“Growers should be focusing on their crops, not being forced to fill out forms. It is no wonder confidence across the industry has been smashed. It is worrying that Labor not only has no plan to fix it, but continues to increase the burdens farmers face.

“Our farmers produce the nation’s food and fibre – they should be supported by Labor to get the workers they need, and by Labor being tough on supermarkets, instead of being slapped with more red and green tape and compliance to make food production even harder.

“I am not sure that Australians would want to live in a country where we are importing vegetables and not growing our own – but this is the road Labor is taking us down.”

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