Calls to declare productive agricultural plant as a Weed of National Significance (WoNS) are misinformed and risk jeopardising an important livestock feed source, according to the National Farmers' Federation.
NFF Sustainable Development and Climate Change Committee Chair Mr Angus Atkinson said buffel grass was a vital resource for livestock operations and was carefully managed by producers to support grazing operations.
"It is a high-yielding plant renowned for its resilience in arid regions. It also provides significant environmental co-benefits, including land rehabilitation and erosion mitigation which is conveniently ignored by environmental groups," Mr Atkinson explained.
"Calls to list buffel grass as a WoNS pre-emptively ignores the economic benefits it provides to thousands of producers across Australia.
"Our members would much rather see it listed as a Feed of National Significance.
"WoNS status should only be reserved for where there is consensus for listing, national coordination or assistance for eradication. There is no consensus on buffel grass, farmers do not support this.
"Farmers want to have a process for contentious plants, this needs to be different to a WoNS process which inadequately acknowledges the economic value of plants like buffel."
Mr Atkinson stressed decisions by other jurisdictions to declare buffel grass a weed must not open the door for national listing of this critically important agricultural species.
"Listing it as a WoNS will inflict a devastating blow to northern grazing systems, decimate grasslands dominated by buffel grass and create significant top-soil loss."
