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Farm Business and Economics

'Capacity building' policies are a priority in enabling Australia's farmers to improve their productivity and efficiency to maximise their competitiveness, both domestically and internationally.

Population Policy

The NFF says it’s time to seriously deal with population policy in Australia...

  • Issues Paper - Population Policy: Labour Pains (997.5 kb PDF)

    The NFF's 27 April 2010 Issues Paper calls for a range of measures to address the chronic labour shortage in regional Australia - some 100,000 will need to be filled as the farm sector emerges from drought. The NFF asserts domestic relocation and tying immigration to regional locations as part of the solution to Australia's projected population explosion...

  • Issues Paper - Population Policy: A Taxing Issue (598.7 kb PDF)

    The NFF's 30 March 2010 Issues Paper puts the case for using the taxation system to encourage business and, in turn, people into regional Australia...

Climate Change

Agriculture - perhaps more than any other sector of the Australian economy - is most at risk of the affects of climate change. The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) believes in a sensible risk management approach to these potenital impacts...

  • Does the NFF support a price on carbon? (59.0 kb DOC)

    The NFF's 16 September 2010 Position Statement rejecting BHPBilliton's call for a carbon tax...

  • Agriculture and the CPRS (68.5 kb DOC)

    The NFF's 6 August 2009 Position Statement on the Australian Government's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), encapsulating agriculture's issues, obstacles and alternate needs...

Drought Reform

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) has developed comprehensive drought reform policies to ensure Australia's primary producers are better equipped to prepare for, and manage, severe droughts in the future...

  • National Drought Policy Priorities (35.1 kb PDF)

    In January 2006, the NFF updated its policy platform in response to the major drought that has plagued much of Australia since 2002-03...

Horticulture Code of Conduct

After two years of intense lobbying by the National Farmers' Federation (NFF), the Australian Government announced that a mandatory Code of Conduct for horticulture would be implemented as of 14 May 2007. The NFF's efforts saw the Government accept the need for, and develop, a mandatory Code to ensure that normal minimum business conditions now apply to the wholesale sector, giving growers confidence in selling their produce through the wholesale sector...

Taxation

The National Farmers' Federation's (NFF's) taxation policy platform pursues an efficient tax system, which supports and facilitates the improving competitiveness of Australian agriculture...

  • Henry Tax Review - Government Budget Announcement (326.0 kb DOC)

    The NFF's analysis of potential impacts for farmers from the Budget-related announcements (ie: Resource Super Profits Tax, Super changes, etc.)...

  • Henry Tax Review - Recommendations (326.5 kb DOC)

    The NFF's analysis of the potential impacts for farmers from key agriculture related recommendations from the 138 Henry Review recommendations not yet adopted by the Government...

  • Managed Investment Schemes Policy (48.5 kb PDF)

    The NFF's 30 June 2006 response to the Australian Government's announced review of Managed Investment Schemes, outlining our view that they are distortionary by their very nature...

Competition

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) is dedicated to ensuring a competitive environment for small business, particularly in the face of market power imbalance...

  • A Horticulture Business Code: Fact Sheet (17.7 kb PDF)

    In February 2005, NFF - along with the Horticulture Australia Council (HAC) - produced this joint fact sheet on the need for a Mandatory Code of Conduct to restore confidence, and address imbalances, in the horticulture supply chain...

Biotechnology

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) recognises the potential of biotechnology (including gene technology) as a valuable tool within agricultural production. The responsible and strategic application of biotechnology within Australia’s production systems can result in significant benefits for Australian farmers, the environment, consumers and the Australian economy as a whole...

  • Gene Technology Policy (55.5 kb DOC)

    In September 2007, the NFF released this policy position on biotechnology and its application to Australian agriculture...

  • GM Crops: The Questions & Answers (109.5 kb DOC)

    In September 2007, as part of its call for the state moratoria on genetically modified crops to be lifted, the NFF and Agrifood Awareness Australia released this Fact Sheet as an adjunct to our position on the science and marketplace realities...

Red Tape

The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) is dedicated to removing the unnecessary burden, and costs, of over-regulation on farmers. While not all regulation is an impost, undue, duplicate and/or excessive bureaucratic red tape should be eliminated wherever possible to maximise the efficiency of the Australian farm sector...

  • The Cost of Bureaucratic Red Tape on Agriculture (95.5 kb PDF)

    Analysis commissioned by the NFF - undertaken by Holmes Sackett & Associates - to quantify the cost of bureaucratic red tape on farm businesses was released in August 2007, finding that up to 15% of net farm profit is being eaten away each year and costs have risen 80% over 2003-2007...

2007 World Congress of Young Farmers

In 2007, the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) coordinated the Australian delegation to the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) '2nd World Congress of Young Farmers' in Palermo, Argentina, over 26-28 July.

The NFF assembled a diverse group, reflective of the vast commodity interests across Australia, to include individuals with a broad range of skills and experience. Below are the delegate reports from each participant from the Congress, and subsequent Study Tour of Brazil...

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