Economic conditions pose greatest challenge to Australian farmers; except WA where government policies are the top challenge
A special Roy Morgan Survey of Australian farmers found that the biggest challenge currently facing almost half of all Australian farmers was economic uncertainty, including global economic conditions, and the rising cost of doing business – mentioned by 49% of farmers.
There were several other issues which were widely mentioned by Australian farmers including the Weather (20%), Staffing issues (13%), Government policy (12%), Rising interest rates (10%), Business/financial viability (9%), Climate change (8%), Natural disasters (5%) and Biosecurity (5%).
Western Australian farmers stand in contrast to farmers in other States, where the largest challenge was government policy – mentioned by 41% of farmers in the West – with great concern expressed about the Western Australian government’s recently repealed Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act.
The results in the Roy Morgan Farmer Agribusiness Survey are based on 1,002 detailed online interviews with Australian farmers during June and July 2023. Farmers were asked to list (open-ended) the biggest farming challenges they currently face.
Biggest farming challenges for Australian farmers
Open-ended responses were analysed and coded into categories. Some responses mentioned multiple challenges and were coded into more than one category.
Economic uncertainty is the key concern for most farmers around Australia
Outside of WA, the most pressing challenge was by far economic uncertainty and rising costs.
“Getting equitable compensation for produce. Problem is that farming has always been a 'price taker, not setter'. Historically farmers have always borne the brunt of price cutting or when the economy is faltering, because farmers are used by all levels of distribution through to retailers propping up their own profit lines.”
“Falling commodity prices, waterlogged conditions creating poor growth conditions, rising cost of production.”
The Agribusiness survey shows that ‘Economic conditions and costs’ have increased notably from being a challenge expressed by 35% of farmers in 2022, to 49% in 2023 – an increase of 14% points.
Farmers from a range of farm types and sizes were included in the survey.
Farmers on mid-sized farms of 1,000-2,499 hectares were most likely to cite economic conditions and costs as a major challenge (69% v 49% of all farmers).
Dairy farmers were the most likely group to state they had no challenges (13% v 4% of all farmers) and the least likely to cite economic conditions and costs as a major challenge (30% v 49% of all farmers).
Western Australian farmers are most concerned about the impact of Government policies
The survey, conducted prior to the Western Australian government’s backflip on the contentious Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act, showed that this policy was seen as one of the greatest challenges facing farmers in that state with 41% of Western Australian farmers giving government policy as a challenge. Some example comments from farmers about this include:
“Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act is shambolic and is undermining our confidence going forward.”
“Implementation of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act by an incompetent government who has not adequately consulted or prepared stakeholders.”
“New laws about not being able to disturb the ground. Basically, being over governed by the minority which will see the industry go backwards.”
Live export bans, the Voice to Parliament and issues around land use are also key concerns
Other farmers around the country expressed concerns about live export bans, the upcoming Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum and issues around land use.
“Government restrictions, costs and the upcoming uncertainty of the implications of The Voice and what it will cost. The restrictions and issues in our farming and everyday life, a divided society and living in a country when apartheid is created.”
“Labor government red tape; they don’t care about farming agriculture and want to shut down live export.”
“Protecting farm viability and environment from new projects e.g., high voltage power lines, wind turbines, solar farms on productive land.”
Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan says:
“The past 12 months has been a challenging time across the economy, and the agribusiness sector has not been immune from these challenges. Farmers are struggling with the increased cost of doing business, stemming from supply chain issues and interest rate increases.”
“2023 has also seen increased regulation in the industry, with uncertainty around how policies will affect farmers driving concern in this space.”
For more details on trust and distrust in the Agribusiness industry, you can purchase our Roy Morgan Agribusiness Brand Trust Report here.
In June and July 2023, 1,002 Australian farmers completed Roy Morgan’s Farmer Agribusiness Brand Trust 2023 survey, providing insight into farmers’ perceptions of, and experiences with key agribusiness brands including trust and distrust. Farmers from a range of farms participated in the survey – Beef, Cropping, Sheep (meat), Sheep (wool), Horticulture, Dairy and other farm types, small farms to those over 25,000 hectares, annual revenue from under $100,000 to over $5 million.
The Farmer Agribusiness Brand Trust Report 2023 details insights into farmer perceptions of key agribusiness brands including:
- Brand awareness
- Net Trust/Distrust Scores and rankings of around 70 agribusiness brands*
- Which agribusiness brands farmers trust and distrust
- Why farmers trust and distrust these brands
- Likelihood to recommend (Advocacy / Net Promoter Score)
- What the biggest challenges are for farmers currently
- Analysis overall, as well as by farm type, size, revenue and state
- Comparison to 2022 results, where available.
The report includes an Executive Summary, charts, tables and commentary summarising key findings, with examples of reasons farmers trust and distrust specific brands, and their biggest challenges – in their own words.
For comments or more information please contact:
Roy Morgan Enquiries
Office: +61 (03) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com
*Agribusiness Brands, Products and Suppliers included: AACo, Ace Ohlsson, Adama, Ag N Vet, AG Warehouse, AIRR, AL Chalmers and Sons, ANZ, AWB, AWN, B and W Rural, BASF, Bayer, Bendigo Bank, BN Proud, CBH Group, Commonwealth Bank, Coprice, Corteva, CropSmart, CRT, Cudgegong Rural Supplies, Dairy Australia, Dairy Farmers Group, Delta Agribusiness, DJ Growers, Eastern Rural, Eastern Rural Supplies, Elders, Emms Mooney, EPG Seeds, FMC, Fonterra, 4 Farmers, Graincorp, Grover’s Rural Supplies, Incitec Pivot, Inghams Enterprises, Irwin Stockfeeds, Kenso Agcare, Kerr and Co, Laucke Mills, Livestock Consulting, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Monsanto, NAB, Norco, Northern Rural Supplies, NRI, Nufarm, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Ozcrop, Pastoral Ag, Rabobank, Reid Stockfeeds, Ridley, Riverina, Rural Bank, Sipcam, Summit Fertilizers, Sunfarm, Syngenta, Titan AG, UPL, Wesfarmers, Westpac, Yara International, YP Ag, and Zoetis.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
