I went into the Budget lock-up this week armed with my calculator and magnifying glass ready to look for the crumbs of what may be left in rural and regional programs after Treasurer Wayne Swan had his way with them.

And for all the talk about how tough the budget would be and how it would rein in spending, I was expecting the worst for the bush.

There was $82 million cut from the agricultural portfolio and no big surprises by way of announcements, but when you look at the budget more broadly, farmers couldn't really be too disappointed with the big picture approach being taken by Canberra and spelt out in this year's budget.

Strategic infrastructure plans have been missing in Australia for decades. I won't start on my gripes with State Governments in that equation, but Labor is certainly determined to rebuild the road, rail and ports network as one in Australia, and that's got to be good news for the farm sector.

Health is so vital to keeping an ageing farm sector in the bush and the Government certainly took another national, longer-term view to health services this year.

While specific incentives for rural doctors were missing from this budget, the Government is talking the right way on services in the bush, so there's hope that perhaps better things are in store.

The big disappointment for farmers may not lie in what was available or not by way of funding, but it was the lack of detail on things like future drought assistance, the climate change programs and water investments on-farm which were too vague, or non-existent on budget night.

While the farm sector will have to wear cuts to the ag portfolio, in the same way many other portfolios have big cuts to live with, it needs certainty from the government to continue producing food and fibre in one of the tightest operating periods known.