Government support for the agro-industrial complex: the experience of a programme-oriented approach in Australia

Abstract

Agriculture has experienced many crises in recent years. The need for public authorities to respond was caused not only by the pandemic generated by the SARS-CoV and that disrupted production and supply chains, but also by the increase in the number and scale of natural disasters. The article shows that public authorities have taken measures to support the agricultural sector, ensuring their implementation both in the short term and to reduce their impact on future shocks through introducing temporary bans on export, decreasing (or increasing) tariffs, etc. The article indicates that in most countries, government support measures were aimed at ensuring domestic food supplies and overcoming market disruptions. In the context of the global economy, the policy of supporting agricultural production was characterised by conditions of high energy prices and regular disruptions in value chains in the world trade. Scientific research on the creation of conditions for the development of agriculture reflects various aspects of the topic of climate change mitigation, vulnerability of agriculture to climate change, and adaptation of agricultural and food systems. The article considers the features of the programme-target method in providing support to the agricultural production through the development of public policy measures. The Australian experience in implementing the Smart Farms programme is presented in the context of programme blocks with an analysis of the technologies used; key approaches in organising the selection of the programme participants and the risks of its realisation are highlighted. It is concluded that the implementation of the target programme has made it possible to expand the possibilities of digital transformation in agriculture and ensure the provision of budgetary funds on a competitive basis under openness and transparency of all the stages and procedures.