Climate change is the biggest opportunity and threat facing Victorian farmers, according to Agriculture Minister Ros Spence.
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She said grappling with changing weather patterns and extreme weather events while maintaining farm profitability and productivity was key for the agriculture industry over the coming decade.
She said this conundrum was a "concern" to a lot of the farmers she spoke with.
Ms Spence made the comments in a recent interview with Stock & Land in Melbourne.
However, she suggested the climate challenge came with opportunity and that change wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Victorian farmers continue to experience the effects of a late autumn break with feed shortages in West Victoria, in particular.
Meanwhile, research and innovation progresses for the discovery and implementation of science which either reduces the speed of climate change or mitigates its long-term impact.
Ms Spence said seeing this innovation making real impact was one of her goals while in the agriculture portfolio.
"The innovation that's taking place now in response to climate change, I would like to see that become further advanced," she said.
"Hopefully, some of the research that's been undertaken, gets put into practice.
"That would be really key."
Ms Spence described how climate challenges were just one aspect of her "diverse portfolio" as Agriculture Minister.
This diversity was one of her favourite things about the role, she said.
"Every day there are new challenges and there's more to learn about what's going on in the industry," she said.
She said engaging with regional and rural communities was also another enjoyable part of her job.
"Whenever I'm out visiting people on site, they're so generous and welcoming with the information sharing with what they're doing and the pride they are taking in their work," she said.
She said she did not expect to be made Agriculture Minister by Premier Jacinta Allan.
"It was a surprise to be offered the portfolio by the Premier but it was a very welcome surprise," she said.
"I think I'm incredibly fortunate."
Ms Spence said she also wanted to focus on addressing the farm sector's "employment issues".
"I'd also like to see an improvement to the employment issues that we're having at the moment where the industry is understood for how it operates in modern Victoria and see those pathways more established," she said.
"The best thing about agriculture is the people.
"If you're not in the agriculture sector, I think there's limited appreciation for what those people do.
"More about that would be terrific."
Another goal of hers was to strengthen Victoria's biosecurity position.
"I'd have to say that we maintain a strong biosecurity system where we are keeping at bay any issues that may arise but that where there are incursions, that we do have that rapid response where we minimise the impact that that has," she said.
She said biosecurity was another of the big threats facing Victorian farmers, following climate change.
"There are huge biosecurity risks," she said.
Ms Spence listed how there was Red Imported Fire Ant to the north in Queensland, Varoa Mite in New South Wales, lumpy skin and foot and mouth disease in Indonesia and avian influenza already in south-west Victoria.
"We need to be always alert, be aware of all our surroundings, and be able to identify risks," she said.
