Anyone visiting Australia from overseas could be excused for being totally confused about the overall policy direction for the agriculture sector in Australia at present - based on issues in the media over recent days. 

First there was agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig meeting with Japanese government officials and reported to be explaining to them that  "Australian primary producers pose no threat to Japanese agriculture because Australian farmers have little chance of increasing productivity."  Perhaps there was something lost in the translation here, but this message is hardly positive about the future of the sector. 

Then there was former agriculture Minister and now environment Minister Tony Burke explaining to southern riverina irrigators that, unfortunately, there will have to be a reduction in irrigation water of up to 30% in some regions in order to help the environment, although it is not yet clear how or what part of the environment will be helped. 

Simultaneously, the Queensland Premier, Regional Development Minister Simon Crean and the Treasurer were announcing a 'historic' expansion of irrigated agriculture in northern Australia, although Bob Katter (whose electorate the proposed expansion will occur in) was reported to be scathing in his response to the proposal - perhaps noting that while $3 billion has been allocated to buy water off irrigators in southern Australia, only $10 million could be found to help develop irrigation in northern Australia, with most of that going to 'research'. 

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government has reportedly announced that it will slash live cattle imports from Australia next year, in a move officials insist is absolutely and completely unrelated to Australia's sudden suspension of live cattle exports for two months in 2011 (and it must be right because the officials said it with a straight face!). 

The overall impression from these and previous actions of Australian governments is that agriculture is pretty low on the priority list, and not perceived to have much future potential.

Oh, and while all this is going on in Australia, the Food and Agriculture organisation of the UN released a new report that estimates global demand for meat is projected to rise nearly 73 percent by 2050, and dairy demand will grow 58 percent over current levels over the same timeframe, creating a major challenge for global agriculture to lift productivity and output in order to meet this extra demand and avoid increasing global food insecurity.

As has been pointed out in the most recent edition of the Farm Policy Journal, global developments present a major opportunity for the future growth of Australian agriculture, but the opportunities will not be realised without concerted government and industry efforts on a range of fronts. 

The very first step is obviously a need to better communicate the potential opportunities for Australian agriculture to policymakers, so more coherent policy can be developed that supports the sector and encourages its growth.