BOSECURITY was front and centre of the NSW Budget this week.
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In a record spend, a total of $36.1 million will be pledged for biosecurity and is aimed at preventing pests and disease throughout the agricultural sector.
Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said, while improved conditions had come as a relief for farmers the wet and warm weather also provided a breeding ground for invasive weeds and pests.
"Our growers and farmers are doing their best to rebuild but all their good work is at risk as fields can be decimated by insects or feral pigs," he said.
"In response, the experts from the Department of Primary Industries and Local Land Services have made biosecurity their immediate priority, tasked with tackling the explosion in weed and pest activity - a direct threat to the sector's recovery," he said.
Mr Marshall said farmers could expect to see a weed and pest blitz over the coming months with the rapid roll out of aerial baiting of feral animals, additional trappers and noxious weed control programs.
In addition to the biosecurity spend there will be $50 million invested in research and development initiatives as part of the World Class Food and Fibre program.
As the budget was handed down this week many Riverina cropping farmers were either windrowing or on the header. NSW Farmers representative and Illabo landholder David Carter of "Gerelgambeth" welcomed the funding for biosecurity. He said biosecurity was paramount for primary producers.
However, he said there were real concerns in this area that farmers were a "forgotten commodity."
"It's about time they realise that we are out here in the west," Mr Carter said. He said farmers often came second in terms of government focus. He said the spend was usually directed at Sydney voters.
"We have some of the most successful farmers in the world ... years ago we always heard the saying that the economy rode on the sheep's back," he said. Mr Carter said agriculture was still performing well.
"Sometimes we need some assistance to support that," he said.
With recent rain he was expecting a good result at harvest. Mr Carter said it wouldn't be "exceptional" but the early indications were promising.
Meanwhile, at Corowa in the state's south the saleyards received a pledge of $2.8 million from the budget.
This money will be used to form part of the $9.2 million upgrade of the saleyards.
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