Australian Food and Grocery Council CEO Gary Dawson
“We welcome the government’s 10 year enterprise tax plan, providing businesses with certainty and confidence for long term investment planning.
“For Australia’s $119 billion food and grocery industry that employs 322,000 people with 41pc of those in rural and regional Australia, this should provide a stimulus to regional investment in food and grocery supply chains.
“Stimulating business investment into regional enterprises is critical to generate jobs in regional and rural Australia.
“The certainty provided in the 10 year plan laid in the budget to reduce the tax burden on all companies in Australia to 25pc is a positive step.
“The government should also be commended on its support for regional and rural Australia, particularly its commitment to building the Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail and ongoing investment on key road infrastructure.
“Australia’s food and grocery industry transforms farm produce into food and the essentials of life for every consumer every day making an important contribution to regional and national economies.
“Therefore improved infrastructure is greatly welcomed to enhance efficiency across the supply chain.”
Future Farmers Network Vice-Chair Rebecca Gowen
"FFN members have identified access to start-up capital, skills and training and land resource management as the most important challenges they face.
“The 2016 budget delivers some small positives for our members, many of whom will benefit from the change in tax thresholds - but there are few significant announcements which will specifically apply to young people in Australian agriculture.
“If the proposed PaTH job-seeker support program is accessible to agricultural workers and employers, it may provide opportunities for start-up agricultural businesses to access affordable labour to grow their business.
“The FFN will be interested to see the roll-out of this program.
“While FFN welcomes the additional funding for Landcare, the further increased focus on the Great Barrier Reef ignores much of Australia’s productive agricultural land which could also benefit from co-investment in conservation.
“FFN is also concerned that nearly $10 million is being taken from critical agricultural research and development even if it is to be reinvested in feasibility studies for dams."
CropLife Australia CEO Matthew Cossey
“It's imperative that the $17.1 million allocated to streamline regulation of agricultural and veterinary chemicals goes to providing real efficiencies and outcomes such as the Minor Use and Specialty Crops program and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for the already identified opportunities to improve efficiencies.
“It’s essential those funds are not simply absorbed in administrative costs by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.”
Cattle Council of Australia CEO Jed Matz
“Australian beef producers and the value they bring to the economy has not been recognised in this year’s budget.
“The Australian Government has moved away from the positive budget initiatives of last year and focused instead on generating “jobs and growth”.
“Unfortunately these initiatives do not appear to be as relevant in rural industries as are currently needed to help continue Australian agriculture on the path to being not just and international competitor but an international leader.
“The Budget seems to have little in it for Agriculture but even less focus directly for the beef industry.
“This is disappointing as we think investing in the beef industry is vital to building the Agricultural boom that will keep Australia’s economy moving forward as the mining industry falls away.
“Additional funding of $15.9 million over 4 years for the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to develop an advanced analytics capability aimed at better targeting the Government’s biosecurity efforts is welcome.
“However there is very little detail within the information provided so we will be seeking further information about what that investment really means.
“An extra $7.1 million to fund the continuation 15 rural financial councillors is positive.
“But beef seemed to miss out on the infrastructure front and as producers demand greater connectivity we were extremely disappointed to see no additional allocations to mobile black spot program.
“Many beef businesses will benefit from the reduction in tax rates for small business – 2.5pc off the company tax rate (from 30 to 27.5pc) which will help them invest back into their businesses.
“Improved market access has been delivered in recent years but there is still much work to be done, especially on technical trade barriers.
“Australian beef producers are turning more and more to export markets to remain viable and access is vital.
“It is unfortunate the government has failed to recognise the value behind these initiatives in this years’ budget.”
Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Kelly O’Shanassy
“Prime Minister Turnbull has missed the opportunity to show leadership on nature and climate in his first budget.
“This is not a Budget that will lead Australia out of a climate and extinction crisis.
“The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder faces an uncertain future with funding for its operation drastically reduced by 91pc from 2017-18 onwards.
“Similarly the Murray-Darling Basin Authority faces uncertainty, with federal funding halved from 2017.
“There is no new money for protected areas or threatened species recovery.
“There is no reform of the notorious Fuel Tax Credit subsidy, so motorists will continue to pay almost 40 cents in tax on every litre of fuel they buy, while some of the world’s largest mining companies, such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Glencore Xstrata, pay no tax at all on the fuel they use.
“On the positive side, the government has committed $15 million over three years to help control European carp and the ACF welcomes this funding.”
Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations Chair Richard Clark
“This year’s budget continues the government’s support and arrangements for the partnership approach that underpins our rural research and development system.
“The budget papers show that payments through to the Rural RDCs will remain stable if not grow slightly in coming years, except for MLA as reduced cattle sales will hit levy receipts hard in 2016-17.
“What has come as a surprise is the reallocation of $9.5 million of funding from the Rural R&D for Profit Programme for the National Water Infrastructure Fund.
“The government says the funding will be used for additional water infrastructure feasibility studies in northern Australia.
“The change means that the allocation for Rural R&D for Profit will be $20 million rather than $30 million in 2016-17.
“It is important to note the government’s commitment to rural R&D has been reinforced in this budget and the matching funding of grower levies continues to support innovation in the rapidly changing agricultural sector.”
Cooperative Research Centres Association CEO Tony Peacock
“As noted by some commentators, the CRC Program is losing some funding to extend the Australian Astronomical Observatory.
“However, I understand this is about $6 million of unallocated funding saved from the slow funding rounds during the recent review.
“More importantly, more funding becomes available for future CRCs because the so-called efficiency dividend is coming off the program.
“The next few funding rounds are set to be big ones and a major renewal of the programme.
“Also the government is investing $15 million in backing the National Carp Plan, instigated and managed by the Invasive Animals CRC.
“This should give all environmental CRCs the confidence that they won't be left hanging at the end of their funding term.
“If they come up with a great plan, the government is willing to listen and back it.”
Agribusiness Australia CEO Tim Burrow
“From Agribusiness Australia’s point of view, the key aspect of success is the consistency of investment.
“Australia must continue to invest in its infrastructure to remain competitive and this budget is pointing in the right direction with key investment in the inland railway and water infrastructure in particular.
“Agricultural trade is global and to remain competitive like any other business such as mining, retail and finance we need to invest in the latest infrastructure and innovation consistently and for the long term.
“Our competitors, other countries, are already investing incredibly rapidly and catching us and bridging the location to Asia advantage we have through innovation and infrastructure.
“It’s madness to think simply because we live and operate near Asia we will have the advantage.
“We are at the beginning of a 50-year dining boom and we don’t want to miss the first decade of it wondering if we are having a boom or not, like the mining industry missed the first 20pc of its recent boom.
“Now is the time to act and invest.
“There are a number of other initiatives in this Budget that support the dining boom’s longevity like biosecurity and confirmation of support for the White Paper initiatives.”