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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-03-20 Daily Xml
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Plant Protein Manufacturing

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:23): I rise to speak about a great loss to South Australia's economy. This current state Labor government and federal Labor government have walked away from a Modern Manufacturing Initiative program that had huge potential for South Australia's economy. For those who are not aware, South Australia is the capital of pulses and plant protein opportunities, and we have had opportunities to be a world-leading plant protein manufacturer through this Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

The former Minister for Trade and Investment had carriage of the funding, and it was a large amount of funding between state, federal and private money. There was $113 million of federal money and $65 million that was committed by the former Liberal state government, but the $200 million of private money that was going to be put on the table for this plant protein initiative has now gone missing because this government has walked away from an opportunity. It seems to be a trend that, when it comes to food production, anything that happens in a region, anything that happens on a farm, the Labor government go missing. Whether it is plant protein, whether it is live exports or whether it is farm initiatives, again, they continue to go missing in action.

This is a huge opportunity. South Australia produces about 75 per cent of Australia's lentils, 40 per cent of fava beans and almost 35 per cent of field peas. The global demand is increasing at a huge rate. Currently, India has surged by 500 per cent in importing pulses into their food chain. Looking at the reasons why South Australia can be a stronger trading partner with India is just the tip of the iceberg. It is about value adding that protein-based opportunity. It is not just about the food: it is about beverages and it is about protein as a stable food source.

We all know that globally we are seeing malnutrition as an absolute major global issue. Protein is a major fix for those populations that are looking for the protein. Again, we see the opportunities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Egypt, China and the EU, but the Labor government have walked away—$65 million that was going to be invested into a $378 million program and the opportunities and the jobs that it was going to create.

Jobs is another issue that we all should be aware of—generating about $4 billion in exports by 2032 and 384 new direct jobs. What we are missing out on now is 8,500 full-time positions. Nationally, it is an absolute disgrace that the Labor governments, both state and federal, have walked away from a huge opportunity.

It is estimated that plant protein increases are 20-fold across the value chain and that domestic and international demand will continue to grow. My most recent trip to India—and I thank the Minister for Trade and Investment for that opportunity—showed me that India is calling on South Australia to increase the opportunities with pulse production. They know that in their country they are seeing much more of their high-value land now being converted to other crops, more high-value crops. So they are now planting pulses in less productive country. We are dealing with global warming, we are dealing with the vagaries of the weather, and India now have more of a reliance on exporting those pulse crops into the food chain, and that can come from South Australia.

South Australia not only grows the best pulses, the best lentils, the best beans and the best peas but they also had the opportunity to value add, and that value-add opportunity has gone amiss. I know that many of our primary producers are absolutely gutted that the government has walked away from something that is staring them in the face because they are not interested in investing more into an economy that is a renewable economy. It is an economy that feeds the world and it is an economy that will drive 8,500 jobs. It really does beggar belief.

What really does make me wonder is that now that we have lost that $65 million out of the state government, where will that money be committed? Where will we see that $65 million invested into our state's economy? Will it be invested into a regional initiative? Probably not. Will it be invested into a food source? Probably not. Where will that $65 million go? I hope the Premier goes away and has a good, hard think about the fact that he has taken away the opportunity here in South Australia. The plant protein Modern Manufacturing Initiative has gone missing here in South Australia.

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