This week, both of the frontrunners in Cowper released plans for agriculture and farming. 

Independent candidate for Cowper, Caz Heise, launched a Local Food and Produce Strategy aimed at boosting support for local farmers, rebuilding regional supply chains, and making fresh, affordable food more accessible. Pat Conaghan, Nationals MP for Cowper, published the Nationals’ plan for agriculture on his website on Wednesday, focused on developing a National Food Security Plan, establishing a sustainable biosecurity funding model, workforce shortages, and funding for farmers.

“Local food production is at the heart of our region’s identity and future,” Heise said. 

Why it matters 

Across Australia, farmers are facing challenges on multiple fronts and the stakes for the Mid North Coast region are high.

The Mid North Coast is a major agricultural hub, producing 76.8 percent of the state’s blueberries, 57.2 percent of its bananas, and 42.4 percent of its avocados, according to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. 

Beef and dairy are also key industries, valued at $51.1 million and $48.4 million respectively. 

In her strategy, Heise says local farmers face serious structural challenges, like the lack of processing and cold storage facilities, and dairies. The centralisation of the supply chain has meant farmers increasingly depend on a few major buyers and distant processors, driving down farmgate prices. These gaps, Heise argues, weaken local food security, drive up costs, and make farming less viable for the next generation.

Meanwhile, the Nationals strategy approach is aimed at “back[ing] our farmers and regional communities” with a four-part plan that focuses on food security, biosecurity, worker availability, and productivity. 

The details 

Caz Heise backs small-scale producers and fairer pricers for farmers

Heise’s agriculture policy focuses on strengthening regional food systems by supporting small-scale producers. The independent candidate is framing food security as a core priority for rural communities, and Heise aims to boost the amount of fresh, locally produced food to promote long-term sustainability. 

Heise’s Local Food and Produce Strategy proposes:

• Strengthening competition laws to ensure fairer prices for farmers and break the supermarket duopoly

• Investing in local processing infrastructure — including regional abattoirs, dairies, and cold storage

• Cracking down on illegal practices such as water theft, unsafe working conditions, and illegal land clearing

• Supporting the next generation of farmers through training, apprenticeships, and start-up support

• Building climate resilience by supporting climate-smart farming and boosting regional food storage

Read the whole report here.

The Nationals target food security and reversing the live export ban on sheep at sea

The Nationals and Coalition 2025 Agriculture platform concentrates on traditional, large-scale export industries – including a pledge for the Coalition’s first agricultural bill to reverse the decision to ban live sheep exports by sea. The party also proposes new labeling restrictions for plant-based proteins, to prevent products from using terms like “beef”, “chicken” or “sausage” unless paired with qualifying descriptors. 

The Nationals say this is a consumer protection measure – but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has found no evidence that plant-based labels mislead shoppers. 

An ACCC submission to a senate inquiry initiated by The Nationals reported the complaints it had received about this issue came mainly from industry groups rather than consumers, who were generally well aware of what they were purchasing. 

The National’s Plan for Agriculture suggests:

• Developing a National Food Security Plan with an interim report in the first six months of government, focusing on protecting food producing land and water, biosecurity, worker supply, an energy mix of more gas, renewables and nuclear energy, advancing sovereign manufacturing capability, supply chain logistics, cutting regulation, and bringing the big supermarkets into line.

• Establishing a “sustainable biosecurity funding model” to protect against pests and diseases

• Bringing back the dedicated Australian Agriculture Visa

• Finalising the Brett Cattle live export class action and reversing the ban on live sheep export at sea

Read the whole report here.

Farmers on the MNC doing it tough

The Mid North Coaster spoke to local farmer and advocate Rachel Ward, whose 2023 documentary Rachel’s Farm highlighted the challenges of rebuilding resilient rural economies.

“My challenge is that I can't get into the local abattoir and I haven't got the supply chains to get me to Sydney,” Ward, who owns and operates a regenerative farm with free roaming, grass-fed cattle in Nambucca, told the Mid North Coaster.

Ward says she is “locked out” of the local abattoir because the industry is only interested in “scale and efficiency” and she – as a regenerative farmer– has small scale production.

“[The closest abattoir] won't accept my cattle,” she said. “It's not enough for them.”

Ward said the lack of options for processing facilities on the Mid North Coast is another reason local farmers are turned away.

“Everybody is funneled through the same abattoir, so you get these bottlenecks of which there aren't enough people to work in there. They can't get all the cattle through.”

Selling cattle at market locally is an option, but with prices fluctuating, it is not viable to rely solely on this, Ward said.

“Just going through the markets, no one can subsist on that.

“It would be fine if we were getting value for our livestock, but we're not in the markets. Because the supply chain is taking way more than the farmer.”

Ward believes a long-term strategy for the industry’s supply chain needs to be reviewed.

 “They've got buyers for the abattoirs. The buyers get a cut, then the abattoirs get the cut and the supply chains get cuts, which is why the farmer gets less and less.” She also thinks more mobile and local abattoirs would mean farmers don’t have to send their livestock long distances, a practice that is already expensive.

“Our margins are lean and we can't afford [it]”.

Small and Medium-sized farms need better support

Ward said the regional farming industry is at threat of dying out without government support. The government, she said, must understand the struggles faced by both small and medium-sized farmers in the regions.

“I don't think we should be subsidised as farmers. But I think we should be allowed to use our initiative and be entrepreneurs and find niche markets that we can actually get value for dollar for our product.

“If we lose the farmers, the infrastructure goes. Everything goes… all of these small towns are basically supported by a farming community.

“No one can exist on farming alone…It’s going to be a dying game.”