New figures from the Federal Government revealing the amount industries, such as grains, will be required to pay for the biosecurity protection levy have fuelled ongoing uproar against the plan.
Grain Producers Australia chair Barry Large said, in an interview with Farm Online, that the unified opposition from almost all producer groups should send a clear message to the Government about its poor policy.
Based pm average gross value of production for the seasons from 2019 to 2022, Grains alone will be asked to pay $12.25 million, or 23 per cent, of the total $51.8m per annum to be collected from farmers.
"This is not about how much the levy rates are per tonne or per kilogram of farm produce - it's all about the principle of this policy and real failures to get it right and win any support," he said.
"Australian farmers should not be used as sacrificial lambs to fill budget black holes in government departments."
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