The Queensland Government has released a new agriculture strategy which will aim to help double the state’s agricultural output by 2040.

State Minister for Agriculture, John McVeigh, said that the Government is determined to see the state become a major, high quality food production centre to cater for Asia’s growing middle classes.

“The government’s 2040 vision for agriculture is for an efficient, innovative, resilient, and profitable sector,” he said.

He said by releasing Queensland’s agriculture strategy, he was outlining a vision and framework for growth based on four, key pathways:

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

Mr McVeigh said the strategy outlined 60 initiatives across government, 31 of which his department would lead, including:

  • Continuing to strengthen biosecurity systems to make Queensland the best prepared state to prevent and combat foot and mouth disease;
  • Workforce Development Plans to improve agricultural skills and career pathways;
  • Industry Actions Plans to address the pathways to growth in key industries; and
  • Implementing the Agricultural Research, Development and Extension Plan focusing on beef, horticulture, sugar and broadacre cropping to support world-leading sub-tropical and tropical agriculture.

Mr McVeigh said with an increasing global population and expanding middle-class in Asia, the coming decade represented an unprecedented opportunity for growth.

“With a reputation for safe, clean, quality produce, Queensland is ideally positioned to take full advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

“The growth of our sector will be driven by both increases in volume and value, depending on the industry.”