The Victorian Farmers Federation welcomes the Victorian Government’s confirmation that stage one restrictions do not apply to Victorian agriculture and agribusiness, and the continued support for the sector from Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes.
VFF President David Jochinke said the VFF has been working closely with the Victorian Government to ensure that agribusiness can continue to operate.
“Victoria’s agricultural sector is the backbone of our state and a fundamental component of our economy. We are the lifeblood of many regional centres and rural towns,” Mr Jochinke said.
“Victoria produces more than $13 billion worth of milk, fruit, vegetables, meat, fibre, eggs and grains and support a processed food industry worth $38 billion according to recent Victorian Government data.
“These are unprecedented times. The silver lining in all of this is the close relationship and partnership that VFF has established with Government.”
Mr Jochinke said there will be challenges ahead and the VFF is planning, mapping and addressing these.
“We understand there are many questions. The simple answer is that we are working to ensure the whole agriculture/agribusiness supply chain remains open and viable,” Mr Jochinke said.
“The important thing is that we are all working together to secure the future of our agricultural industry and continuing to produce to feed Victorians during these trying times.”
-VFF