THE HON DAVID LITTLEPROUD MP
Leader of The Nationals
Shadow Agriculture Minister
21 November 2025
Farmers bearing the brunt of Labor’s net zero ideology on Agriculture Day
Leader of The Nationals has thanked Australian farmers on Agriculture Day for producing the nation’s food and fibre.
Mr Littleproud said it was important to acknowledge farmers needed extra support this year, after being forced to bear the brunt of Labor’s race to all-renewables and reckless net zero ideology.
“Under Labor, 95 per cent of emissions cuts have come from cutting productive farmland, not energy transition,” Mr Littleproud said.
“Large areas of bushland and farmland are being cleared for solar panels and wind turbines, threatening native species and local communities.
“We have sadly already lost 7.2 million hectares of agricultural land, and to achieve Labor’s net zero targets, we’ll lose another 5.1 million hectares.
“That means our food security is under threat and when supply goes down, prices go up, so families will pay for Labor’s ideology at the checkout. Regional Australia and our agriculture industry is being torn apart.
“We need a cheaper, better, fairer way to reduce emissions rather than Labor’s $9 trillion plan, which also puts Medicare and NDIS at risk.
“The Coalition’s energy plan won’t lock up our agriculture land. We need common sense, such as the Emissions Reduction Fund, which has practical measures to alleviate the use of agricultural land and supports environmental stewardship programs.”
Mr Littleproud added agriculture also needed to be protected through the use of a Scientific Advisory Group for biosecurity import risk analyses, especially when it comes to bananas, but that isn’t happening under Labor.
“We need a full Biosecurity Import Risk Analysis under the Biosecurity Act, which the Minister can direct the Department to undertake. Our agriculture industry is simply too important to be put at risk and Agriculture Day is a timely reminder of that.”
