There's been not a peep from the Opposition's relatively unknown spokesman for agriculture, Nigel Scullion, since he took his new post despite massive flooding throughout parts of Queensland and NSW, looming wheat export announcements, a corporate shake-up at AWB and the coming Federal budget.

The new deputy leader of The Nationals (even though he's a member of the Northern Territory's Country Liberal Party) has reportedly been off piggin' for some parts of his Christmas break.

But now as farmers start cranking up their calls for replanting grants to try and recover from drought, Senator Scullion appears to be either still lost in the scrub, or just unaware of some of the major issues which he needs to be prodding this new government on.

The Government got off to a rigorous start, and the new Agriculture Minister has already visited many parts of Australia trying to get his head around the new portfolio.

Senator Scullion has failed to capitalise on the new minister's lack of familiarity with rural issues and has applied no pressure on the Government on vital rural issues.

Do we really need to wait until the middle of February, when parliament resumes, to hear the first of Senator Scullion?

The new government's now had more than two months in office and farmers are waiting to see the colour of an effective opposition.