03 September 2024
Insight from: Robbie Sefton
Seftons and the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) has released the results of its second annual National Farmer Priority Survey and once again the outcomes have revealed some significant insights into farmer sentiment and the agriculture industry as a whole.
The survey was this year completed by 1026 farmers from across the nation.
It's designed to gauge farmers' feelings about their industry, drilling down into their thoughts, opinions, key concerns and priorities. Without understanding how those at the coalface of Australia's ag sector are faring, we can't identify where there's opportunity to help improve the viability, sustainability, productivity and profitability of our farming businesses.
It's such a critical sector for the nation's economy that we can't afford not to be regularly taking its temperature and acting on the results.
The findings showed a growing number of farmers enjoy their work and communities. Nine in 10 respondents (89 per cent) agree with the statement 'I love what I do', up 18pc on the last survey. In addition to this, 78pc say their community is a great place to live, up 10pc on last year.
On the flip side, there were increased levels of concern across a broad range of external pressures, with the protection of Australia's biosecurity emerging as the top-ranked issue. A total of 94pc of respondents put it at the top of the list, up from 81.3pc in the 2023 survey, while 93.8pc were unimpressed by the market power of supermarkets/processors (up from 83.1pc last year).
The survey also registered a drop in farmers' confidence in the federal government, with only one in 10 believing the government has a positive plan for the farming sector, a drop of nearly 38pc from 2023.
This is all valuable feedback for federal and state governments and ag stakeholders. There's much that can be considered if we're serious about turning this sentiment around. One is the parliamentary inquiry into supermarket prices, which heard from many primary producers about their concerns over dealings with the nation's largest grocery retailers. Numerous recommendations were made and it's hoped this, and other similar examinations, will start to address the concerns and shift the current power dynamics.
I remain extremely positive about the future of our industry and my day-to-day dealings across rural and regional Australia prove to me many others share a similar outlook. That's not saying there aren't issues that need to be addressed if we are to remain a force within the global market - this latest survey spells that out. But I believe with a clear sense of purpose and priorities, and ongoing advocacy around important policy issues, we can help farmers do what they do best and restore some of the optimism that's obviously waned in recent times.
We shouldn't be dwelling on the negatives, we should use these latest survey results to inspire a renewed push on behalf of our ag sector. That's exactly what the NFF and my team will be doing. We strongly believe in the entrepreneurial spirit that is evident across our industry, with farmers and their communities working hard to shape their own destinies. All they need is an acknowledgement of the issues beyond their control, and actions that can initiate even better outcomes for an already successful industry. This survey gives a very clear indication of where we need to start.
