Australian PM encourages remote areas to return to subsistence farming

Australians in remote areas shouldn 't hold their breath for the government to subsidize the cost of high quality, fresh food, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday, instead encouraging a return to subsistence farming.

The prime minister finished a week-long tour of the Torres Strait and northern Queensland on Friday, a commitment he made -- to spend one week per year visiting isolated and remote Australian communities -- prior to his 2013 election win.

One of the issues raised to Abbott by locals in the remote northern regions of Australia was the high cost of fresh food due to transport issues.

Abbott told Australia's national broadcaster on Friday he would "very much council" the local people against expecting government subsidies, instead suggested a return to community gardens -- subsistence farming.

Abbott has come away from his trip "very encouraged," especially from improvements in remote indigenous education, insisting schools in the remote peninsula area of far north Queensland have significantly improved.

"These are classrooms which are energized, focused and disciplined in a way that I have never seen before in remote indigenous schools," Abbott said.

Abbott laid a challenge to Australia's political opposition leader Bill Shorten to also commit to spending a week in a remote indigenous community.

"It is important that we don't lose sight of the issues facing remote Australia," Abbott said.

Shorten told Xinhua in a statement on Friday: "that's an interesting suggestion from the prime minister and I appreciate the invitation to join him next time."