THIS year's state budget has been largely welcomed, thanks to comprehensive tax reforms which will benefit a number of agricultural businesses.
Agriculture Minister Leon Bignell said he had received "so many phone calls" from farmers and aquaculture in response to the changes.
"That's supporting job creation through reforming our tax system," he said.
"I think that is a major win for our farmers.
"I think the farmers actually understand the huge ramifications for them on that tax reform, it's good (Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis) went out and listened to farming communities around the state, and he took action on it.
"They might not mean a lot to people living in the city who aren't involved in a family business or a farm, but they're gamechangers for those who are."
Opposition agriculture spokesperson David Ridgway agreed the stamp duty concessions were a positive outcome, but expressed disappointment there were no new projects for agriculture.
"Food and agriculture is still the biggest business in SA," he said.
Budget papers underscored the importance of regional industries to SA's economy.
The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry provided the most significant contribution to the 1.3 per cent rise in gross state product, rising by 16pc and contributing 0.8pc of the 1.3pc growth.
But Mr Bignell said there was money in the kitty for agriculture.
"We're spending more money on things like New Horizons, and there's money there that will come in for this coming year," he said.
"There is money in the budget, we had no cuts, it was all just sort of keeping on the investment in the agriculture sector."
Mr Bignell said building the $3m National Sterile Insect Technology facility in Port Augusta was earmarked to begin in 2015-16.
"There's a whole lot of things we didn't announce in the budget but we've announced over the past six to 12 months or so," he said.
"It's better than business as usual; it's more money going in to helping the ag sector."
The facility will help protect SA's fruit fly free status but Mr Ridgway said delays getting it off the ground were disappointing.
"The SIT facility was meant to be completed this year, now it's not being completed until December next year," he said.
"That's disappointing because certainly one of the great marketing angles we have for our produce is that we're fruit fly free."
The proposed Northern Adelaide Food Park is the government's big ticket item for investing in the north for 2015-16. Funding of $2m has been provided to assist with its development.
"It will bring those businesses that want to co-locate with other businesses in the one precinct," Mr Bignell said.
"By and large all the food manufacturers I've spoken to have been very supportive of it."
Mr Bignell said investing in food manufacturing and value adding would only benefit the state's primary producers.
"Food manufacturing is the only form of manufacturing I know that's grown year-on-year for 17 years in a row," he said.
"If you're manufacturing food you're value adding to the primary produce of the state.
"We want to help businesses in that food manufacturing sector to be as efficient as they possibly can.
"All sorts of food manufacturing will help primary producers - they grow the produce and then the food manufacturers do the value adding.
"It's value adding that's the most important part; rather than just sending our raw ingredients overseas to be turned into something, we're actually doing it here in SA which is terrific."
Mr Ridgway remained "uncertain" about the Food Park.
"The theory of it sounds okay; it's mentioned in several places (in the budget). In one place it talks about a potential food park, another talks about a precinct funded to the tune of $2m designed to bring together food manufacturing businesses to access shared infrastructure and services," he said.
"They haven't chosen the site for it yet; given how slow things move, I'll be surprised if that money's spent this financial year."
Additionally, $8m over four years has been committed to the Goyder Institute of Water Research.
"That's more money going into research to help provide farmers with the sort of information that's going to assist them," Mr Bignell said.
