The organisation wants the government-funded project to target Tasmanian producers to improve pastures and productivity.

It said that just 30 per cent of Tasmanian pasture would be considered improved pasture and a large amount of this was in a degraded state.

The program would educate farmers on the social, environmental and economic benefits of improved pasture, the organisation wrote in its budget submission.

“This current situation results in Tasmania as a state having a livestock carrying capacity which is less that optimal,” it said.

The state government has a goal to increase agricultural production ten-fold in its Agrivision 2050 policy document.

The TFGA also wants stamp duty costs to be removed from asset transfers between businesses.

It wants private land covered by environmental offset requirements and covenants to be exempt from council rates, and for a parliamentary inquiry to be held on the equity of the rating system allround.

The farming body wants the government to ensure that farmers’ rights are protected during minerals exploration and subsequent development, and to provide a significant investment in branding Tasmanian agriculture.

“Tasmania is in an envious position where we produce some of the best food and fibre, and our brand is seen as distinctive, and associated with premium foods within the domestic market and, in some cases, internationally,” the submission said.

In terms of invasive species, the TFGA wants the government to provide a long-term, co-ordinated approach within Biosecurity Tasmania for weed management.

It also wants the amount of livestock inspectors to be increased and a reinvigoration of Landcare to adapt to more extreme events.