Federal Budget: Farmers welcome detail on Albanese Government’s $63.8m emissions reduction spend

More details of a $63.8 million Federal Budget injection to help slash agricultural emissions have been released, with industry leaders saying the Albanese Government seems to have “listened to farmers”. Some $28.7m over four years will go towards improving greenhouse gas accounting in the agriculture and land sector at the national through to farm level, followed by $0.9m ongoing from 2028. Another $30.8m will help accelerate on-ground action to reduce agriculture and land emissions, with the funding to build on the existing Carbon Farming Outreach Program. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will also receive $4.4m over 10 years to become a partner to the Zero Net Emissions Agriculture Co-operative Research Centre. The CRC, to be established on July 1 this year, will be a major vehicle for long-term research into emission reductions from Australian agriculture. Federal Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said decarbonisation in the agriculture sector would “unlock new opportunities” for farmers and landowners. “Our Government will work in close collaboration with the agriculture industry to guide us towards a net zero future,” he said. “The funding provided in the Budget will help the agriculture industry to take action and be recognised for that action.” The cash splash was first announced on May 14 but it was unclear how exactly the funds would be spent . After calls from farming groups, Mr Bowen revealed more details at the Albanese Government’s inaugural Sustainable Agriculture Summit at Toowoomba on May 23. The Albanese Government is pushing ahead with its target of Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Mr Bowen said Government support for the agriculture sector would play an “important role in achieving whole-of-economy emissions reduction targets”. But Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt stressed the Government was not setting a target for the agriculture industry. “It is our responsibility as the Government to help the industry contribute to our economy-wide net zero target,” he said. The National Farmers’ Federation called the announcement a “positive step forward”. NFF chief executive Tony Mahar said it showed the Government had listened to farmers’ calls to prioritise food security and ensure farmland “is not a carbon dump for other sectors”. “This is consistent with what the NFF has been seeking as we work towards achieving the ongoing reduction in agricultural emissions trajectory,” he said. “Any credible climate plan needs to partner closely with farmers who manage more than half of Australia’s landmass.” Mr Mahar said the $28.7m set aside to improve greenhouse gas accounting was “an important down payment”. “We’ve been saying for some time that farmers need to ‘know their number’,” he said. “Improving and standardising approaches to data collection, measurement and accounting are critical to making this easy and accessible, especially at farm scale.” He said the Carbon Farming Outreach Program would provide farmers with much-needed independent advice and also backed the establishment of the new CRC, of which the NFF is a foundation partner. “If we can get this right, there is real potential to unlock opportunities for agriculture and the broader economy,” Mr Mahar said. “This will allow agriculture to be part of the solution to a lower emissions future while giving farmers the tools to become more sustainable and productive.” Farmers for Climate Change chief executive Natalie Collard said helping farmers reduce emissions through research, improving accounting and better engagement was the best way forward. “Minister Watts . . . listening to industry by investing in on-ground help for farmers aiming to reduce emissions,” she said. “FCA has also called for more research to assist farmers in reducing emissions, and we are pleased to see investments in this space, too.”