The Nationals in Government have announced a multi-million dollar package to help educate children about agriculture and food production.
Federal Nationals Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said it was important to invest in teaching young people about where their food came from.
“Too many of our young Australians don’t understand where their food comes from,” Mr McCormack said. “For example, 45 per cent of primary and secondary school students didn’t think bread, bananas or cheese came from farms. This new program will support primary and secondary school students to visit farms and other primary production worksites in the food and fibre supply chain.”
“We won’t allow our kids to be vulnerable to anti-farming campaigns from extremists hell-bent on shutting down agriculture.”
The Nationals in Government will also back around 80 city schools across the country to set up fully integrated and computerised “mini-farms” to teach students about the use of water, land and energy in food production.
To encourage more workers into agriculture the Nationals in Government will deliver $220,000 to encourage more young people to study a field in agriculture by improving future education initiatives, which means Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) can run a new national survey of school students and teachers on food and fibre production and careers available in the agricultural sector.
Our plan for a stronger economy means we can deliver a $30.9 million package that includes:
- $10 million to take city kids to farms so Australians children see how agricultural products get from paddock to plate;
- A $20 million Regional Agricultural Show Development Grants Program;
- $720,000 to support Agricultural Shows Australia to promote the value of Australian agriculture, and;
- $220,000 to encourage more young people to study agriculture by improving future education initiatives.
