Agriculture
Overview
This page provides high-level information and data on the Agricultural industry which comprises the following industry sectors: Production Horticulture, Broadacre Farming, Livestock Farming, Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming, Agriculture Support Services and Agricultural Product Wholesaling.
Please visit the following pages for data specific to the following Agricultural sectors:
Nationally recognised training for the Agriculture industry is delivered under the AHC – Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package.
Visit the following pages for more information on Amenity Horticulture and Land Management, Animal Care and Management, Food Production, Transport, Retail, and Hospitality industries.
Information sourced from the Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast.
All data sources are available at the end of the page.
IRC and Skills Forecasts
Industry cluster snapshot
Employment and training snapshot
Employment in the Agriculture industry declined by around a quarter between 2000 and 2018 and is expected to decline further until 2023.
Program enrolments in Agriculture-related qualifications decreased over the period 2015–18 and particularly from 2017 to 2018. In 2017 there were about 45,240 enrolments but this decreased to around 35,420 in 2018. Similarly, program completions have fallen between 2017 and 2018 after being fairly stable between 2015 and 2017.
Industry insights on skills needs
According to the Agriculture, Horticulture, Conservation and Land Management IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, the top generic skills for Agriculture are:
- Learning agility/ information literacy/ intellectual autonomy and self-management (adaptability)
- Managerial/leadership
- Financial
- Technology
- Science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) skills.
Job vacancy demand data for this industry indicates that the top generic skill in demand by employers is communication skills followed by physical demand. The top occupation in demand was Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers.
Key macro forces that currently challenge and provide opportunities for the industry’s sectors and its workforce include:
- The agricultural workforce is ageing with a little under a half of the workforce aged fifty years or more.
- The industry has an immediate and ongoing labour shortfall. The job market for graduates in the industry currently outstrips the supply of graduates which is a challenge for the industry.
- Climate has an impact on the industry and there are indications that the potential for extreme weather events is increasing.
- There are new and emerging markets being developed that use plants and wildlife more suited to Australian conditions which in turn is leading to an interest in wild cultivation and traditional land management.
- The complexity of issues facing farmers has led to a need for potential solutions to apply to the farm. This has led to a demand for agronomy skills as a conduit between research and application on the farm.
- There are emerging industries and technologies in agriculture but a gap in consumers capacity to understand and accept the technologies.
- China’s Belt and Road Initiative will drive competition in the commercial sectors of the industry and potentially create opportunities to reach and service international markets.
The project, Horizon Scanning: Opportunities for New Technologies and Industries has identified emerging technologies and potential new industries that could emerge from the new technologies. Thirty-nine technologies were identified across six domains. Examples of the technologies include:
- Smart dust
- Plant genome sequencing
- Collaborative robots
- Blockchain
- Perovskite solar cells
- Programmable materials.
Some examples of potential emerging industries identified were:
- Cell cultured meat
- Microgrid P2P energy
- Acellular agriculture
- Wild camel harvesting
- Medicinal Marijuana
- Hemp milk.
A digital skills and capability gap across the agriculture value chain was identified in the report Accelerating Precision Agriculture to Decision Agriculture: Enabling Digital Agriculture in Australia. Skill gaps were specifically identified in the areas of on-farm telecommunications, and data science and data culture.
The report Future Job Openings for New Entrants by Industry and Occupation estimates that there will be approximately 10,500 job openings per year for Farmers and Farm Managers over the forecast period 2017–24. Replacement demand (i.e. job openings due to people leaving the occupation) is expected to account for about 63% of the job openings. This is due to the age of the workforce, although as noted in the report, Farmers and Farm Managers tend to work through to older ages.
Relevant research
2016 Agrifood Talent Report – Agricultural Appointments
Accelerating Precision Agriculture to Decision Agriculture: Enabling Digital Agriculture in Australia – Various authors, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Australia
Horizon Scanning: Opportunities for New Technologies and Industries – Agrifutures
A Workforce Development Strategy for the Australian Cotton Industry – Agrifood Skills Solution
Current Knowledge on Workforce Issues in Victorian Agriculture: Primary Industries Policy Discussion Paper – Dr Lisa Cowan, Social Researcher with Rural Development and Transition Policy Unit
Empowering Women in Agriculture: Australia and Beyond – Tess Marslen, Future Directions International
Food and Agribusiness: A Roadmap for Unlocking Value-Added Growth Opportunities for Australia – CSIRO Futures
Future Job Openings for New Entrants by Industry and Occupation – Shah C 2018
Industry Outlook: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing – Australian Government, Department of Employment
National Agriculture Workforce Development Plan – National Farmers’ Federation
Report on South Australia's Industry Priority Qualifications – South Australian Training and Skills Commission
Sector Profile: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing – South Australian Training and Skills Commission
Transitioning Regional Economies – Productivity Commission
Links and resources
Below is a list of industry-relevant organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.
Industry associations and advisory bodies
Agricultural Supply Wholesaling
Apple and Pear Australia Limited
Australasian Alpaca Breeders Association
Australia Wool Testing Authority
Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders
Australian Banana Growers' Council
Australian Blueberry Growers' Association
Australian Cane Farmers Association
Australian Chicken Growers' Council
Australian Cotton Ginners Association
Australian Cotton Shippers Association
Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme
Australian Dairy Industry Council
Australian Egg Corporation Limited
Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association
Australian Fodder Industry Association
Australian Honey Bee Industry Council Inc.
Australian Institute of Horticulture
Australian Livestock & Property Agents Association
Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters' Association
Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council
Australian Lot Feeders' Association
Australian Lychee Growers Association
Australian Macadamia Society Ltd
Australian Mango Industry Association
Australian Melon Association Inc.
Australian Mungbean Association
Australian Mushroom Growers’ Association Ltd
Australian Nut Industry Council
Australian Oilseeds Federation
Australian Organics Recycling Association
Australian Ostrich Association
Australian Pecan Growers Association Inc.
Australian Pig Breeders Association
Australian Pineapple Association
Australian Queen Bee Breeders’ Association
Australian Society of Horticultural Science
Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology
Australian Sunflower Association
Australian Sweetpotato Growers Inc.
Australian Table Grape Association
AWTA Limited (Australian Wool Testing Authority)
Biological Farmers Australia
Cane Harvesters
Canola Association of Australia
Corporate Agriculture Australia
Cotton Research and Development Corporation
Crocodile Farmers Association of the Northern Territory
Dairy Goat Society of Australia
Deer Industry Association of Australia
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Flower Export Council of Australia
Goat Industry Council of Australia
Grain and Feed Trade Association
Grains Research and Development Corporation
Hazelnut Growers of Australia Inc
Honey Packers & Marketers Association of Australia Inc
Horticulture Innovation Australia
Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists
Institute of Australian Geographers
Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA)
Local Government Tree Resources Association
Maize Association of Australia
National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme
National Herd Improvement Association of Australia Incorporated
Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association
Organic Federation of Australia
Pistachio Growers Association Inc
Potato Processing Association of Australia
Raspberries and Blackberries Australia
Rice Growers’ Association of Australia
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
Shearing Contractors’ Association of Australia
Sheepmeat Council of Australia
South Australian Wine Industry Association
Sustainable Gardening Australia
The Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand
The Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network
The Wine Grape Council of SA (WGCSA)
Tropical Exotic Fruit Australia
Utility Arborist Association Australia
Wheat Exports Australia
Wool Classers' Association of Australia
Employee associations
Data sources and notes
Department of Employment, 2018, Employment Projections, available from the Labour Market Information Portal
- by ANZSIC 2 and 3 digit industry, employment projections to May 2022
- 01 Agriculture
- 052 Agriculture and Fishing Support Services.
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Employed persons by Industry group of main job (ANZSIC), Sex, State and Territory, November 1984 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ06, viewed 1 November 2018 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202018?OpenDocument
- Employed total by ANZSIC 2 and 3 digit Industry, 2000 to 2018, May quarter
- 01 Agriculture
- 052 Agriculture and Fishing Support Services.
Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses, 2016 Program Enrolments by AHC – Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package.
Priority skills data has been extracted from Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast. Each IRC has prioritised and ranked the generic skills.
Job vacancy data have been extracted from Burning Glass Technologies 2019, Labour Insight Real-time Labour Market Information Tool, Burning Glass Technologies, Boston, viewed July 2019, https://www.burning-glass.com.
Data shown represent most requested generic skills and occupations according to internet job postings in Australia between July 2016 and June 2019 filtered by ANZSIC and ANZSCO classification levels listed below.
- Generic skills / Occupations
- 01 Agriculture