THE Australian Greens have proposed a sustainable agriculture election policy package focussed on boosting farm research and development and extension initiatives to fight food production challenges linked to climate change.

The party’s farm package seeks to combat mounting food production pressures driven by increasing climate variability with its centrepiece being a proposal of $100 million over four years to build a new Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

The Greens have also declared plans to scrap the backpacker tax saying it was introduced without consultation in last year’s budget and has been opposed by farmers throughout Australia.

They also want to deliver an additional $75 million for R&D undertaken by agricultural Research and Development Corporations and reverse cuts to extension measures to ensure producers can access research outcomes on-farm.

The policy package also contains an extra $722m for Landcare funding over four years but excludes a position on animal welfare standards for the livestock industry and if they support Labor’s plans to install an Office of Animal Welfare.

Any policy announcement will be directed by Green’s animal welfare spokesperson and NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon while revelations on controversial land management issues for farmers, linked to Coal Sean Gas and coal mining, will be announced by Queensland Senator Larissa Waters and agricultural spokesperson Rachel Siewert.

The Green’s package also makes no direct statement or proposals for in-drought policy and support measures for farmers but suggests the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture as an alternative.

“Australia’s agricultural R&D occurs through sector specific organisations but many of the biggest challenges for Australian agriculture impact farms across Australia,” it says.

“Problems like drought and other climate change impacts, biodiversity, carbon, social issues impact are not commodity-specific.

“The Greens will provide $100m from 2016-17 to 2019-20 to establish and staff the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture - this will provide a huge boost to research and development, on key challenges that matter to farmers across Australia.”

Senator Siewert said more than anyone, farmers understood the struggles and mounting pressures of climate change and impacts on food production like increased costs.

She said the government was letting farmers down on core issues including being “missing in action on climate change” and the delayed backpacker tax “continues to create uncertainty for farmers who need a workforce in the lead up to harvest”.

“They are failing on Landcare and their most recent federal budget was lacklustre,” she said.

“The Green’s agriculture package would invest in science and innovation, with $75m in additional R&D funding over four years and $100m over four years to establish a Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

“Additionally, a network of 180 ‘agricultural extension officers’ would help farmers in applying new technology to help them farm more efficiently and sustainably.

“Our farmers are key to food security and stewardship of our natural resources - we need to continue to invest in R&D.”

The National Farmers Federation will assess and rate the Green’s agricultural election policy and those revealed by the two major parties during the campaign period.

A preliminary iteration of the NFF’s election scorecard is likely to be revealed next week with a final rating due out late in the election race, leading into polling day on July 2.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale.

The Green’s sustainable agriculture package was released as leader Richard Di Natale embarked on a four day election campaign jaunt through regional Australia this week focussing on core policy platforms like renewable energies and sustainable land management issues around mining.

Senator Di Natale lives on a working farm in regional Victoria and toured regions of Victoria and NSW this week leading into a debate against Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce and Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon in Goulburn Wednesday night.

The Green’s leader focussed on agricultural sustainability and water management and he also visited Tamworth in the heart of Mr Joyce’s New England electorate and the controversial Shenhua coal mine on the Liverpool Plains.

The party’s agricultural policy said Australian farmers had been successful due to innovation and constant production improvement but the “old parties” had under-funded Australia’s public agricultural R&D “which is crucial to innovation”.

It said a nationwide network of 180 agricultural extension officers, costing $67 million over three years - from July 1 next year - would help farmers identify new technology and techniques to help them farm more efficiently and sustainably.

The Greens said the additional $722m in Landcare funding - to off-set Coalition cuts - would go towards projects that help farmers and the environment, “by making sure that precious environmental and natural resources are protected”.