Leg Up for Thoroughbreds

BARNABY Joyce, deputy prime minister and member for the seat of New England was at Yarraman Park Stud this morning to announce research funding for the thoroughbred industry.

Barnaby Joyce, deputy Prime Minister, being shown “I Am Invincible” by Yarraman Park handler Matt Lawler.

The government has pledged to match a thoroughbred levy with $400,000 per year in Commonwealth funding.

Mr Joyce said while the cattle, sheep and horticultural industry had long enjoyed a dollar matching levy system for research, the thoroughbred industry had not been supported in the same way.

“The thoroughbred industry employs so many people in this area and they need to be globally competitive like our other agricultural industries,” said Mr Joyce.

“By the government supporting research in this industry it shows a sign of our good faith for the industry,” he said.

“We spend approximately a quarter of a billion in research and development in agriculture,” Barnaby Joyce said.

Mr Joyce said the industry levy and matching government contributions under a re-elected Coalition would raise $2.4 million over three years for the thoroughbred sector in research and development.

When asked how workers from Drayton may feel with the timing of this announcement coinciding with the announcement that workers will be laid off, Mr Joyce said he could not speak about why the company has decided to close.

“Everywhere we go there is a challenge between agriculture and mining,” said Mr Joyce.

“I don’t know the methodology behind the decision,” Barnaby Joyce said.