The incoming secretary of the department of agriculture has told a Senate estimates hearing that his key focus is the financial sustainability of the department.
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Earlier this year the department received a $127 million bailout from government to meet its financial obligations.
New secretary Adam Fennessy, who took on the role in September, told the hearing that his department was budgeting to "break even" this year.
"We are in a much stronger position for 23/24," he said in his first address to the Rural, Regional and Transport Senate Committee on Tuesday.
"My number one focus has been on the financial sustainability of the department."
"Internal budgets have been allocated and all divisions are managing resources to remain within budget," Mr Fennessy said.
The Senate hearing was told some of the $127 million bailout was used to tackle biosecurity threats.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the department had been able to make $80 million worth of savings to get through the financial year.
Senator Watt said the introduction of a biosecurity levy for importers was helping to future proof the department's financial position.
The minister was also asked to comment on a "damning" National Farmers' Federation (NFF) survey released in October.
Around three quarters of the 1600 respondents said they were either very concerned or concerned across the 15 issues raised.
Reducing red tape for farmers, and a failure to protect arable farm land were two areas where farmers believed the government wasn't doing enough.
Almost half of those surveyed said there was not enough investment in rural infrastructure.
"It doesn't surprise me that farmers, or their peak body agree with some things that our government's doing, and don't agree with others," Senator Watt said.
Asked what changes would be made following the survey, the minister said work was already underway to improve the sector.
"We are already taking action," Senator Watt said.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie told the hearing that the Fair Work Legislation Amendment would drive profits down for agriculture, and that farmers would not be able to employ people.
"The advice that we've been given from the farming industry is that when this bill becomes law that ... (there) will be less agricultural production across the country," Senator McKenzie said.
But Senator Watt said there had been some misinformation about the new laws.
"There are some ways in which the NFF says these laws will affect farmers that are not accurate," he said.
Australian Associated Press
