Australia will not run out of food during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Government report.

Key points: Australia exports around 70 per cent of all it farms.

Australia exports around 70 per cent of all it farms. Only about 10 per cent of the household budget is spent on imports.

Only about 10 per cent of the household budget is spent on imports. Shortages of some staples are the result of supply chain shocks.

The ABARES insights report, released by the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment says that any concerns about Australian food security were "misplaced".

"Despite temporary shortages of some food items in supermarkets caused by an unexpected surge in demand, Australia does not have a food security problem" the report said.

It shows that Australia exports 70 per cent of its agricultural production.

"Australia is one of the most food secure countries in the world, with ample supplies of safe, healthy food", it said.

"Domestic production more than meets our needs, even during drought years".

Even during severe droughts, Australia still sells agricultural products overseas, because it produces more than it needs domestically. ( Supplied: ABARES )

Water for rice would come at cost of another sector

The recent COVID-19 outbreak has increased pressure on supermarket shelves, with some staple products such as flour and rice in high demand as Australians prepare themselves for lockdown.

ABARES acknowledged this had "prompted calls for governments to intervene in Murray-Darling Basin water markets to boost production of certain commodities, such as rice".

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world

The report outlines how water is traded in Australia, with markets dictating that water is being used by high value crops like horticulture and nuts in a dry year.

It makes it clear that all water in the basin has already been allocated.

"Government intervention to provide additional water to a particular sector or producer would need to come from another user, such as reserves held to ensure future town supply or environmental outcomes, or water that would have been used for a more profitable sector, reducing the gross value of irrigated production," according to the report.

The report also forecast a rice harvest of 180,000 tonnes in 2020-21, noting more than half of that would typically be exported.

It follows one of Australia's smallest rice crops in 2019-20, at just 54,000 tonnes.

Even during severe drought, Australia still produces more food than it consumes domestiaclly. ( ABC South West: Zoe Keenan )

Australians do import some food

The report shows just over 10 per cent of the average household food bill is spent on imported foods.

These are typically highly processed or frozen foods, and fresh foods that are not in season in Australia.

"These imports play an important role in meeting consumer preferences for taste and variety," ABARES said.

It found that disruption to access of these foods in Australia, due to COVID-19, would be unlikely to have any impact on Australia's food security.

Frozen vegetables and seafood, plus beverages, make up most of the 11 per cent share of imports, by value. ( Supplied: ABARES )

Freight/supply chains in the time of COVID-19

The ABARES report noted that "domestic transport is an essential supporting service for agriculture" and that trucks delivering to and from farms are moving freely, despite restrictions introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"In terms of exports there has been some disruption to airfreight and the availability of shipping containers."

Rural news in your inbox? Subscribe for the national headlines of the day.

Airfreight accounts for less than 3 per cent of the value of Australian exports and was affected by a ban on passenger travel, which reduced freight capacity.

The Federal Government recently announced a stimulus to return freight airflight to five key markets.

ABARES reported "data on shipping arrivals indicated that after a normal seasonal slowdown in February, March arrivals have remained low, potentially restricting the supply of containers.

"With production and trade recovering in China, these potential shortages may be resolved in the short to medium term. Prices for containerised freight have started to fall globally after initial increases in January, providing a basis for cautious optimism," it said.