General News
4 June, 2025
Breakthrough for farmer disaster relief
THE importance of the Rotary FNQ Field Days came to the fore on Thursday when two State Government Ministers took the opportunity to announce major funding for local shires and a breakthrough for farmers related to accessing disaster relief funding.
Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett gave the good news that farming families who rely on both on-farm and off-farm ag-related income – like harvesting, planting services, or contract mustering – will no longer be locked out of disaster support.
He said the move would particularly support young farmers, who often had to work off-farm to meet their financial needs, which was “a critical step” to support the next generation of producers.
Under the new arrangements, Mr Perrett said both State and Federal governments had agreed to broaden the definition of “primary producer” under disaster assistance rules. This meant all growers would now be eligible for key assistance measures, including recovery grants, concessional loans, and freight subsidies.
The announcement was welcomed by National Farmers Federation CEO David Jochinke, Queensland Farmers Federation CEO Jo Sheppard, AgForce CEO Michael Geurin, Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers CEO Rachel Chambers and Canegrowers CEO Dan Galligan who all joined the Minister at the event in Mareeba.
“This is a smart, sensible fix that brings disaster recovery support into line with how modern farms actually operate,” Mr Galligan said.
“This is about making sure no grower falls through the cracks because many families rely on a mix of on-farm income and contracting work to stay viable – it’s never made sense to leave them out of disaster support.”
Mr Galligan said the move came after Canegrowers had successfully secured the inclusion of replanting costs in disaster recovery grants earlier this year – another first for the industry.
Minister Perrett confirmed that farmers would be able to apply for funding relief for any damage suffered in the 2024-25 wet season.
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said the move was a pivotal change.
“It’s probably one of our biggest wins because what it means is a whole lot of people who are genuine primary producers who were not eligible for grants and support in times of disasters – so where they had some off-farm income – will now be eligible for it,” he said.
“There will be hundreds of producers who had no ability to access support, who now will have it.”
The Field Days came in for plenty of praise during the Minister’s press conference, with Mr Perrett describing the event as “magnificent” and one that demonstrated the importance and the variety of agriculture on the Tablelands.
“It’s always important in understanding the complexities of primary production is this region and this is demonstrated in places like this,” he said.
National Farmers Federation CEO David Jochinke said the Field Days was a significant event because it provided an opportunity to see the latest technology being used in agriculture and to recognise the importance of the sector in the national economy.
“For us, Field Days are about celebrating agriculture and what it means to be a part of a growing industry and for the aspirations to become a $30 billion industry in Queensland matches the fact that agriculture, as a whole, needs to become a $100 billion industry across the nation,” he said.
“Not only does that support communities to grow, it builds the wealth of the nation so Field Days is an important part of that.”
