IN a world of ceaseless chatter, clarity of expression is priceless.

Tuesday’s farmer rally in Canberra had a list of genuine and serious problems confronting Australian agriculture.

The trouble was that there were so many items on the list that the rally’s impact was somewhat dissipated by a lack of focus and some clarity may have been lost.

The rally, attended by over 1,000 farmers with sundry trucks, tractors and utes, was spearheaded by Keep the Sheep, a Western Australia-based advocacy group focused on reversing the federal government's decision to phase out live sheep exports by 2028.

The rally was also supported and promoted by the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF).

Despite being held outside Parliament House, the rally was ignored by both the Prime Minister, The Hon. Anthony Albanese and the Federal Minister of Agriculture The Hon. Julie Collins who had both been invited, suggesting a lack of concern for farmers and the bush displayed by the Albanese government.

Indeed, this government shunning of farmers was a theme emphasised by Leader of the Opposition, The Hon. Peter Dutton, Deputy Opposition leader and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud as well as VFF President David Jochinke, all of whom addressed the rally.

So what was on the agenda?

For Keep the Sheep, the key issue was stopping the ban on live sheep exports.

Flyers issued by the NFF and David Littleproud’s office listed this and other items of concern.

Let’s have a look at these before considering a possible way ahead for farmers to be heard on the various critical issues confronting them.

Issue #1: Live Sheep Exports banned from 2028.

THIS was the original and key driver of the rally.

It is a major economic issue in Western Australia which exports some 85-90% (650,000 to 700,000 head) of Australia’s total exports.

These sheep exports are worth $80-85 million per year to that State and underpin WA’s sheep industry.

Destination markets are Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and   Saudi Arabia.

By way of contrast, Victoria and New South Wales export about 50,000 head each per year and South Australia 30,000.

Queensland and Tasmania do not have a live sheep trade.

David Littleproud promised that if elected as part of a coalition government, he would reverse the live sheep export ban.

It was always going to be difficult for Keep the Sheep to gain traction for this issue in Canberra while the problem is at its most pernicious in Western Australia.

By bringing other issues to the rally, more farmers were encouraged to attend but perhaps at the risk of obfuscating the seriousness of the live sheep ban.

Issue #2: Calls to scrap the Diesel Fuel Rebate.

THE Diesel Fuel Rebate helps farmers by refunding the tax on diesel fuel used for off-road purposes, such as running machinery.

The rebate for off-road diesel use (which includes farm machinery and vehicles) is 43.3 cents per litre.

For on-road use (for heavy vehicles over 4.5 tonnes), the rebate is lower, at around 18.8 cents per litre, reflecting fuel excise reductions for vehicles on public roads.

Scrapping this rebate would increase operating costs for farmers, potentially making Australian food production less competitive and driving up prices for consumers.

Farmers argue that the rebate is essential to their survival in an industry with narrow profit margins.

The proposal to scrap the rebate constitutes a direct hit on farm viability and warrants greater exposure and explanation in the media in order to raise awareness with the Australian public.

Issue #3: Bring back the Agriculture Visa and fix Labor’s PALM scheme mess.

THE Agriculture Visa was designed to help address labour shortages in the agricultural sector by allowing foreign workers to come to Australia for farm work.

Labor's changes to the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which focuses on bringing workers from Pacific nations, have been criticised as insufficient to meet labour needs.

The call is for a specific agricultural visa to ensure an adequate workforce for farms.

This is a cost issue which, if not addressed, has the potential to inflict serious economic harm on a number of sectors, most notably horticulture and viticulture.

Issue #4: Stop Labor’s water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin:

WATER buybacks refer to the government's purchasing of water entitlements from farmers to return water to the environment in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Critics argue that these buybacks reduce water available for agriculture, hurting farming communities. Labor has been pushing to increase buybacks, which many farmers oppose due to the impact on irrigation-dependent farming.

The buybacks are voluntary and the issues around irrigation are complex.

Water buybacks need to be explained to the public and the threats to farming communities identified.

Issue #5: Introduce a container levy (so our own farmers don’t pay for the biosecurity risk created by international competitors):

A CONTAINER levy would impose a charge on shipping containers entering Australia.

This would help fund biosecurity measures to prevent pests and diseases from entering the country. Without such a levy, the argument is that Australian farmers bear the burden of biosecurity risks that are largely created by international trade and affect Australia generally, not only primary production.

This issue has been discussed in these pages in some detail earlier this year.

Issue # 6: Stop Labor’s truckie tax and vehicle efficiency standard:

THE "truckie tax" refers to a proposed change in road user charges for heavy vehicles, which would increase costs for transport operators, particularly affecting rural areas where trucking is essential for moving goods.

The vehicle efficiency standards aim to reduce emissions from transport, but critics argue that these standards could impose higher costs on farmers who rely on heavy machinery and trucks.

Again, these are cost issues which need to be explained in detail so that the public can understand the impact of the proposed new controls.

Issue #7: Create a mix of energy, rather than Labor’s all-renewables approach, which is destroying agricultural land:

LABOR'S push for renewable energy (such wind and solar farms) is seen by some as compromising agricultural land, as these projects often take up large areas of prime farming ground.

The argument is for a more balanced energy mix that includes renewables, but also other energy sources, to protect agricultural productivity.

The Victorian Government’s recent designation of Western Victoria as the focus for wind and solar development is causing considerable concern particularly with the impact of large-scale solar farms on arable land.

Issue #8: Scrap harmful emissions profiles i.e. Scope 3.

SCOPE 3 emissions refer to the indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated by an organization, including those from the supply chain.

These are both upstream (suppliers) and downstream (customers).

Farmers are concerned that these emissions profiles could unfairly penalise them for emissions beyond their control, being those produced by suppliers or customers.

Scope 3 emissions are highly controversial and the matter is likely to be appearing in the media more and more frequently.

Issue #9: Stop Labor’s proposed taxes on superannuation, which will impact family farms:

LABOR has proposed changes to superannuation tax concessions, particularly for high balances.

Family farms are often structured in ways where superannuation plays a key role in succession planning, and higher taxes could make it harder to pass farms onto the next generation.

This is an example of “moving the goalposts” since taxpayers placed land into superannuation accounts on the assumption that the rules would not change.

Much of the country in Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs) was transferred in 2007 and the values have now appreciated greatly with an attendant Capital Gain Tax risk.

This is another complex matter and needs to be explained and addressed.

Issue # 10: Ensure the 88-day backpacker work visa remains in place for the agriculture sector:

THE 88-day visa requires working holidaymakers to complete three months of agricultural work to extend their visa.

This has been a vital source of labour for farms.

There is concern that changes or reductions in the program could worsen the labour shortage in the agricultural sector.

Visas are a controversial topic at present and the reasons behind the proposed ban need to be clarified.

Where to from here?

THE grievances taken to Canberra this week were numerous and varied.

The overarching theme of the speakers was that farmers are demanding to be listened to and will not remain silent while layers of cancellation, compliance and costs are laid upon them.

The attendance by Peter Dutton and David Littleproud but not by Anthony Albanese or Julie Collins gave the impression that there may be a significant political divide in regard to the importance of farming within Australia’s economy.

It is quite clear, both from the tone of the rally and what has been confided to this writer since, that there is likely to be a rising voice of protest from the bush.

For this to be effective, the issues need to be separately addressed.

Detail and clear explanation to the public by farmers will be the key to success.