For many across the agriculture industry and those residing in rural and regional areas of Qld and NSW, 2019 has been a year of great challenge.
Living through the most severe drought on record and battling the subsequent fires, only touches on what people, families and businesses are enduring in these tough times – many are our clients, some are family and others, our friends.
At Agri Labour Australia, we have seen firsthand what’s been taking place across the industry and while it has and continues to be difficult, there has been a great deal of positivity that should also be acknowledged as we reflect on 2019.
We attended the National Farmer’s Federation Conference in October, where it was great to see so many key representatives showing their support for the agriculture industry. It was also exciting to be there for the launch of the Australian federal government’s vision of $100billion in farm output by 2030, as announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The Department of Agriculture also announced this year that it will fund $100million each year in projects and activities to enhance the drought resilience of Australian farms and communities. This critical initiative will commence in July 2020.
One key learning the team at Agri Labour Australia have taken away this year, is the importance of working together – not just as a business, but also as a community. This cohesion and determination is something we have been seeing all over rural areas, where, in many cases, business owners are sharing staff and thinking of smarter ways to keep their operations going.
The resilience and spirit of these communities is impressive and we urge everyone to continue to show support by buying Australian produce and visiting rural and regional towns when you can.
This year saw us open new offices in Tasmania and our hometown of Goondiwindi. Our presence on the ground in these places has already proven positive with new partnerships and we look forward to continuing to build on this exciting part of the business in 2020.
Next year marks the ten year anniversary of Agri Labour Australia. We are proud of how far we’ve come and are looking forward to sharing and celebrating this milestone with our team.
At this end of year juncture, Agri Labour Australia wishes everyone a safe and happy festive season with the highest of hopes for rain and abundance across the entire Australian agriculture industry in 2020.
