Kagome - which is based near Echuca, has farms in Deniliquin and is the nation’s largest tomato processor - told other media outlets that “spiralling water, energy, and labour expenses” could kill off its Australian operations in coming years.
The warning comes just weeks after SunRice announced shift reductions at its Deniliquin and Leeton mills, partly due to the impact of water policy on local rice production.
The Pastoral Times understands SunRice employees have since been stood down in big numbers, although this is yet to be officially confirmed.
SunRice said its consultation with staff is still underway, and that no final decisions have been made regarding workforce impacts.
The company further stressed that any further commentary would be “speculative at this stage”, and confirmed it will provide more information to employees, and the broader community, once the consultation process is complete.
The Pastoral Times also reached out to the Australian Workers Union which represents many SunRice workers, but is yet to get a response.
With two large food companies expressing concern just weeks apart, One Nation’s Federal Member for Farrer David Farley said the industry is at a fork in the road and action is needed.
“The Albanese government needs to look in the mirror and ask whether it still wants Australia to feed itself?
“Last week’s Four Corners episode on food fraud or import substitution is also a consequence of Labor party policy on water, energy, labour hire and skills, poor import governance and trade agreements.
“Australia has some of the tightest local laws relating to food biosecurity and quality assurance, yet Canberra is happy to wave cheap, dodgy imports through the gate and onto our supermarket shelves.
“In contrast, One Nation backs Australian farmers and domestic food production, which in turn grows our skilled workforce, supports investors and owners of local processing businesses, as well as the hospitality and tourism sectors.
“Growers and processors across Farrer are enormously frustrated. We have everything we need to locally grow the food this nation needs.
“We just don’t have the government prepared to back them.”
Mr Farley is currently undertaking his ‘Grand Winter Farrer Tour’ - his first since being elected in May - and is meeting with growers, producers, councils and businesses on important topics along the way.
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