TARLEE mixed farmer Mark Branson says the South Australian Government does not care about rural SA.
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"If they want us to be the food bowl of Asia, which they keep on saying, then they need to maintain R&D spending as well as extension services, and they're doing neither," he said.
"The signals they're giving us is all talk and no money being put into making it happen. When it comes to the budget, they do the exact opposite."
He said there were no votes in keeping farmers happy and while they enjoyed widespread government support in other countries, it was lacking in Australia.
"I just don't think they care," Mark said.
State Agriculture Minister Gail Gago said Australian governments had never provided the level of subsidies for agricultural production that some European countries did.
"The reality is that such subsidies distort production and breed complacency," she said.
"Our objective is to build long-term sustainable and viable primary industries, and the work we are doing will continue this effort."
Australian primary industries exported to the same markets that received local subsidies and were globally competitive.
"We can do that because our farmers are some of the most productive in the world and our food companies constantly innovate to succeed," Ms Gago said.
*Full report in Stock Journal, June 13 issue, 2013.
