Grylls backs foreign capital

Mr Grylls said the Chinese company which trades in Australia as Kimberley Agricultural Investment and operates as KAI in the Ord River district, was just one example.

"KAI provides the opportunity for all the other farmers to think about how they can piggy-back off the back of that investment," Mr Grylls said.

"On the east coast, they seem to be a bit shy of international investment - I don't mind that.

"That makes WA the premier destination, we lead the way, we attract and secure investments."

Mr Grylls said international investment across all WA agricultural sectors was helping local economies and supporting farming families.

"If you go back five years and take away all this international investment and see what agriculture looked like - this has been a revolution," he said.

"I want to see family agricultural businesses be able to piggy-back off the back of the substantial investments.

"I think politically this is the key. If many family farms can see the benefits in the supply chain, we set up a really exciting environment in WA."

Mr Grylls said investments could encourage growth, innovation and premium products.

He said a family pastoralist could grow cattle for the live export market and continue to do business but have some insurance from neighbouring investors.

Mr Grylls said if an investor was to implement centre pivots, neighbouring properties could increase their carrying capacity, even in a drought, as they would have insurance from the fodder they could grow.

"The region could really benefit from this," he said.

"This is the most exciting part of my job."

Mr Grylls said without such investments WA agriculture would not be progressing as rapidly.

"Jack Burton's Broome abattoir will provide pastoralists opportunities across the North to have another option for processing," he said.

"For the first 10 years of my life in politics that was a pipe dream, everyone remembered when they all shut down and now we are about to open one. It is a massive turn around and that's exciting for the sector.

"International investment did that, yes Jack is a great entrepreneur, but international investment opened up more opportunities.

"Further south, Singaporean-based investor Bruce Cheung is developing a Wagyu herd at Pardoo station, north of Port Hedland, and plans to develop a premium product branded Pilbara beef for the international market."

Mr Grylls said without government creating the space to attract investment, WA agriculture would not have progressed this far.