The federal opposition remains tight-lipped about its plans for Australia's $81 billion agriculture industry, should it form government.
With the federal election to be called within days, Shadow Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has refused to say if Labor would phase out the live export of sheep — a policy it took to the 2019 election.
In an interview with the ABC, Ms Collins also would not say if Labor would pursue re-regulation of the dairy industry, installing a floor in the farmgate milk price.
"At the last election, we had a policy in relation to getting the ACCC to look at that issue," she said.
"We've been talking to dairy farmers, and we'll be making announcements about what we want to do in the coming weeks."
Asked if Labor had any policies that related directly to the production of livestock, cropping or horticulture, Ms Collins said: "Clearly the issues that farmers raise with me that are most important to them, number one is always climate change because there's no doubt that climate is impacting on what's going on, on our farms".
But Ms Collins would not yet say how a Labor government would boost biosecurity or directly address a farm worker shortage.
Ms Collins said she understood Australian farmers required 10,000 to 20,000 additional workers.
Collins keen to keep portfolio
The Franklin MP said Labor had already announced several policies relating to agriculture, including a commitment to licensing of labour hire firms.
"There's our Powering Australia climate change policy, which will create jobs, five out of six of those 600,000 jobs in regional Australia," Ms Collins said.
"They'll of course benefit farmers with real action on climate change.
"We have outlined our regional housing policy, our regional telecommunications policy, our jobs and skills Australia [policy].
Ms Collins lives on Hobart's eastern shore and was first elected to the federal parliament in 2007.
Following a stint as shadow minister for ageing, Ms Collins was appointed Shadow Agriculture Minister in January 2021.
She succeeds Ed Husic and Joel Fitzgibbon as Labor's agriculture spokesperson during the current parliament.
"I'm loving being the Shadow Agriculture Minister and I would look forward to it in government, obviously that's up to the leader … I think it's a great portfolio," she said.
Mobile signal audit promised, but ag visa uncertain
Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese addressed the National Farmers' Federation conference.
At the conference, Mr Albanese announced a Labor government would commit $500 million from its national reconstruction fund specifically to agriculture, fisheries and forestry.
The $15 billion fund, intended to help Australia recover from the pandemic, would provide loans and equity for projects to boost the economy.
Mr Albanese also committed $400 million to expand mobile phone coverage along roads and for regional homes and businesses, and a $20 million audit of mobile phone coverage to commence this year.
The audit would use Australia Post trucks to determine where mobile signal could be improved.
Asked at the conference if Labor would keep the government's new agriculture visa, Mr Albanese did not say.
"It's not real at the moment," he said of the visa.
