NEW Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne still plans to get his boots dirty on Queensland farms despite Cyclone Marcia interrupting his travel plans.
Yesterday he and Agriculture Department staff visited pineapple farms in the Yeppoon area to see the cyclone's destruction.
Plans to head further west to see drought-ravaged properties in distress have been delayed due to the cyclone clean-up.
His other ministerial portfolio - racing - has also kept him busy as the racing industry battles its way out of the greyhound dog scandal.
The crisis engulfing greyhounds, instigated by Animals Australia and executed by ABC TV's Four Corners has drawn obvious comparisons to how the live cattle export industry was brought to its knees in 2011 - with more than just a little assistance from a weak federal Labor minority government.
Comments attributed to Mr Byrne last week on the viability of a live export facility at Port Alma near Rockhampton did nothing to allay the concerns of producers that history was about to repeat.
But Mr Byrne has told QCL this week that he is no Joe Ludwig.
"My recent comments that have been merged into a commentary that I have a problem with live export is a complete and utter nonsense," he said. "I have always been and remain a strong supporter for live cattle exports, particularly in northern Australia and the market they service."
Mr Byrne said he was critical of a local proposal to make Port Alma an export hub and his comments had been made as a local member talking about jobs in his local community. This had been morphed by imprecise commentary into something else. "The reason why I think it lacks merit is - along with not being big enough - I have received strong representation from processors in Rockhampton ... they said this would jeopardise 2400 permanent jobs in my electorate."
Asked whether he had taken into account the lack of competition with meat processors and the fact producers had been receiving the lowest prices in 30 years, Mr Byrne said he was aware of this point of view. "My counterpoint to this has always been about price," he said.
"As I have pointed out to them [producers], all industry analysts looking at beef and protein production predict a strong trajectory forward," he said. He said the drought was a major contributor to the enormous volumes being moved and it had been a case of supply outstripping demand.
"I based my comments 18 months ago on what I thought the market analysts were saying about the shortage of product in the supply chain in beef and going forward it is extremely optimistic."
"I have made it clear to these (industry) bodies that I and the Labor government want to make agriculture as prosperous as possible.
"I have always believed a sustainable economy for Queensland is agriculture and tourism. Both have potential and are there for the long term.
"I don't want to do anything to discourage that."
