Plan for $100 million ag production outlined in Darwin

LAND values and commodity prices are just some of the “tailwinds” helping agriculture achieve its goal of $100 billion worth of “farmgate output” by 2030. That’s according to the National Farmer’s Federation Vice President David Jochinke.

But he warned there were also significant “headwinds” pushing against production growth. Mr Jochinke spoke at the National Farmers Federation (NFF) Towards 2030 Forum in Darwin, Northern Territory recently, an event which coincided with the Northern Australia Food Futures Conference.

 

 

Demonstrating the trajectory of Australian agriculture – and its progress towards the NFF goal of $100 billion farmgate output by 2030 – he displayed a graph showing Australian agriculture was projected to decline in 2023-24 to about $75 billion.

Drier seasonal conditions could result in a further drop to about $65 billion.

This comes after a peak of more than $90 billion in 2019-20.

The Australian farmgate output was about $60 billion five years ago when the NFF first launched its plan to achieve $100 billion by 2030.

Back then, the NFF forecast Australian agriculture would reach $84 billion by 2030 without its roadmap or work towards the goal.

Mr Jochinke said land values, commodity prices, the La Nina weather pattern, digital connectivity and environmental values were just some of the “tailwinds” assisting in the growth of national agricultural productivity.

“Headwinds” included labour shortages, input supply and prices, biosecurity threats, trade uncertainty and environmental regulation.

Mr Jochinke also outlined the NFF $100 billion roadmap aspirations to the forum in Darwin.

Highlights of the extensive list included: agriculture to be ranked as Australia’s most trusted industry, Australia’s farm energy sources are 50 per cent renewable by 2030, 90 per cent of family farms have documented business plans – including succession plans- zero farm fatalities and increase the available workforce by 25 per cent.