When former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd travelled to Kununurra with Premier Colin Barnett in December 2008 to announce funding for the 8000ha Ord irrigation, he said the nation had to “look boldly and imaginatively about where we turn for Australia’s next food basket.”
The vision of a great northern food basket was reaffirmed last Friday by Agricultural Minister Terry Redman.
Releasing results of soil and water surveys showing an additional 50,000ha of developable Ord land, the minister said: “…these two reports do provide an exciting insight into the massive potential for the East Kimberley to become one of the great food growing areas of the nation.”
The soil survey identified a mix of Cockatoo and Pago soils for agriculture development.
However, with sandalwood taking up approximately 40 per cent of available Ord land, some are questioning the future of agriculture in the region.
Mr Redman said he was confident famers and industry would find a happy medium.
“I’m sure industry itself will find a balance in that and I’m quite buoyed by some of the discussions I’ve had tonight that industry and business can achieve that outcome.”
Department of Agriculture and Food figures show the value of agricultural production in the Ord Valley declined by 43 per cent, from more than $63m to about $36m, between 2005/06 and 2008/09.
The figures show total land planted to agricultural crops – which include food, pasture and seed crops – fell from about 9500ha in 2005/06 to about 6100ha in 2008/09.
During the same period, Indian sandalwood coverage increased from 2500ha to more than 4500ha. That had grown to more than 5400ha at 30 June this year.
More than 2500ha of Ord land was not planted in 2008/09.
Ord Industry Development Group chairman Robert Boshammer said the decline of agricultural output was largely a result of two factors: the demise of the 4000ha sugar industry and four seasons of poor prices for horticultural crops.
Despite the decline, Mr Boshammer said food crops such as chia and rice had strong potential in the region.
With chia plantings expected to exceed 2000ha next year and indications of an Ord rice crop of more than 1000ha, Mr Boshmammer said ultimately it would be market forces which decided the region’s future crop mix.
“If there was a good market for horticulture than the whole valley would go under horticulture and people would even pull out sandalwood for it, but the fact is the market for horticulture is fairly limited.”
He added while sandalwood was likely to take up some stage two lands, he was confident food crops would also play a large part.
“You would have to say the best guess for stage two at the moment would be a third sandalwood, a third rice and a third chia, that’s a best guess.”
Mr Redman shared that hope.
“I think this will always have the potential to be a food producing hub of Australia and we should never sell that short,” he said.
By NATHAN DYER
