Australia’s agriculture sector is on track to hit $100 billion by 2030, but continued growth depends on how well research and innovation are adopted on the ground. Overcoming barriers such as cost, connectivity and confidence will be key to ensuring technology delivers value for farmers and the wider ag industry.
10 October 2025
Insight from: Robbie Sefton
Australian agriculture is one of the nation's powerhouse industries and the increase in its value in the past two decades emphasises just how much the Australian economy relies on our food and fibre sectors.
ABARES cites a 34 per cent increase in the gross value of agricultural production in Australia between 2004/05 and 2023/24. And, the goal of making agriculture a $100 billion industry by 2030 is well within reach and potentially on track to hit the mark a little earlier than planned.
It's worth noting this significant growth is being achieved amid increasing challenges for our farmers and other agricultural stakeholders - a changing climate, global instability, trade wars, increased market competition, government policies, biosecurity threats.
But rather than being daunted by these factors, our ag industry is looking to the factors it can control: investment in research that can advance production techniques, protect the industry from pest and disease threats and boost sustainability across the whole supply chain.
Australia spends millions on R&D for agriculture each year, but critical research and development is only one part of the story.
Groundbreaking R&D must then be translated into practical measures that can be incorporated into operational practices, before laying the groundwork for widespread adoption.
It's critical this investment in research is translated via extension and adoption processes.
The likes of the nation's 15 Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs) are leading the way, investing to ensure research breakthroughs find their way to increased value, efficiencies, productivity and sustainability for the ag sector.
For farmers, at the coal face of our food and fibre industries, there can be barriers to the degree with which they may absorb new technologies and innovation into their businesses. Initial costs related to adoption - or perceived cost, limited technical knowledge, poor internet connectivity, concerns about data privacy and security, low expectations related to return on investment, and general hesitation towards new technologies.
These must all be overcome by proponents of fresh innovations, who must work hard to ensure R&D breakthroughs find their audience.
There's room here for our policy-makers and other industry groups to do their part in relation to increasing rates of adoption for emerging technologies. Financial assistance through the likes of subsidies to help with upgrades or new equipment, and training and education programs to assist in building skillsets can help lower barriers to adoption. With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years, the value of education and training has never been so important or of greater value.
Experts are forecasting AI has the potential to unlock enormous value right across the ag supply chain but we must get on the front foot and help de-mystify it in order to make ag stakeholders not only comfortable with the potential of AI, but excited about employing it across their businesses.
As 2030 fast approaches, agriculture needs every available tool in its arsenal to continue growing and competing on the global stage, and widespread understanding and adoption of every new technology and innovation advantage is key.
