But a high Australian dollar, high freight costs and an equally bumper crop in the Netherlands and UK has dulled celebrations.

Things are set to worsen for farmers, who already pay twice to get their goods to market, Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association chief executive Jan Davis said yesterday.

Ms Davis said that with no international shipping from the state since Agility Shipping stopped its Bell Bay operations in August, producers had to pay to get their goods to the mainland and then again to get them to their final destination.

``The cost of shipping produce will worsen with the impost of the carbon tax later this year, because although diesel fuel for road transport will be exempt for a couple of years, shipping will receive no such concession,'' she said.

Ms Davis said that there was a role for the state government in addressing the lack of an international shipping port.

The government is focused on making us all competitive and continuing to build only our agriculture sector, but with a population of half a million people, the product has to go somewhere, she said.

``That means we have to get it off the island and clearly the (state) government has a role to play in ensuring we get the best possible conditions to get product moved.''

Bell Bay Industry Group chairman Rob Gozzi said that the lack of international shipping from Bell Bay was a problem that needed to be fixed.

``We need to get some shipping solutions for the port of Bell Bay and the management group is working hard in that direction,'' he said.

``There are discussions taking place that we are aware off and we are also involved in some discussions as far as shipping opportunities are concerned, so whilst progress is slow, those discussions are on-going and I hope there'll be an outcome before too much longer.''