On The Land
6 July, 2025
Biosecurity, farm resilience, and more strategies
MORE biosecurity officers, a four-year extension to the Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP), a landmark plan for the timber industry, and a new suite of strategies and plans designed to lift primary production output to $30 billion by 2030, were among key primary industry initiatives backed by the 2025-26 State Budget released last week.
The government allocated $60.9 million for 100 extra biosecurity officers at biosecurity hotspots across the state, regionally-focused action plans to manage invasive species, including feral pigs and varroa mite, and $24 million for the Fire Ant eradication program.
Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said it had been a decade since the state’s primary industries had received a budget that focused on what they needed to enable them to produce “world-class food, fibre and foliage for Queenslanders and the world”.
A massive $817.2 million for the Department of Primary Industries budget would also fund the 25-year Primary Industries Prosper 2050 Blueprint, which included a five-year action plan to drive investment, create jobs, and unlock opportunities for the traditional primary industries sector.
This would be supported by a $30 million Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund.
Funding of $51.9 million over four years would support the Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP), Regional Drought Resilience Planning Program and Drought Preparedness Grants.
Industry representatives eastAUSmilk welcomed the extension to the FBRP, saying it had been a “highly successful partnership between it and the department”.
“FBRP has enabled many dairy farmers to develop and implement a farm business plan, and it is great that this partnership will continue,” eastAUSmilk president Joe Bradley said.
However, while it also welcomed the additional funding for the Sowing the Seeds Fund, the organisation was disappointed that no funding was allocated to the Queensland Dairy Plan.
Another key industry initiative for the region was the commitment to develop a FNQ Cane Expansion Plan with Canegrowers Queensland, and to support Mossman growers in transporting their crop for the 2025 season.
Premier David Crisafulli said in September that would “integrate industry knowledge around farming systems and grower engagement to rebuild productivity in Far North Queensland and safeguard the industry for years to come”.
The state’s timber industry was also supported in the budget through funding for the Queensland Future Timber Plan (QFTP). The plan aims to ensure access to enough local timber to build one million homes by 2044, and promote continuity of supply of state-owned native timber.
