Australian agriculture: why diversity is its greatest strength

Photo: Paul Jones

A story bigger than any one crop 

Across Australia, innovation in food and fibre production is happening in every region and industry.  

In central New South Wales, farmers around Dubbo are adopting digital tools such as telemetry soil-moisture probes and cloud-linked dashboards to guide irrigation and grazing decisions — part of NSW Department of Primary Industries’

AgSmart demonstrations in the Central West. In Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, researchers at Agriculture Victoria’s Tatura SmartFarm near Shepparton are trialling precision irrigation and low-water systems in apple and pear orchards to improve water-use efficiency under variable climate conditions. And off the Tasmanian coast, scientists from CSIRO and the University of Tasmania’s Blue Economy CRC are studying native seaweed species to understand how large-scale macroalgae cultivation can store carbon and support aquaculture diversification. 

Further, science-backed changes to plant breeding, agronomy and farming practices in Australia’s grains industry now sees profitable and environmentally sustainable production of crops such as wheat made possible on a third of the growing season rainfall compared to 20 years ago.   

Together, these examples show how Australia’s diverse agricultural system—spanning dryland farming, irrigated horticulture and marine production—continues to evolve and achieve climate resilience through applied science and technology. Collectively, these industries form a $187 billion food and fibre system, contributing about 11 per cent of national GDP when processing and manufacturing are included (Wynn K, Sebastian B, 2019). Agriculture itself contributes 2.4 per cent of GDP and accounts for 10.8 per cent of Australia’s goods and services exports—about $71.5 billion in 2023–24 (ABARES, 2025). 

An industry built on geography — and ingenuity 

Few countries farm across such extremes. Northern Queensland produces mangoes and macadamias; the inland plains grow wheat and chickpeas; the south focuses on wine, dairy and fibre; and the coasts support shellfish and seaweed. This spread gives the sector stability: when one region faces drought or flood, another is in full production. It also drives innovation. Western Australian grain growers use satellite data to fine-tune fertiliser rates mid-season. Cotton producers in the Namoi Valley manage irrigation through mobile apps. And in Queensland, SwarmFarm Robotics designs autonomous, lightweight machines that help farmers reduce chemical use and soil compaction while boosting precision in the paddock. The company’s robots are already working in crops from broadacre grains to turf farms, showing how Australian-developed technology is reshaping everyday operations. 

A workforce that looks to the future 

According to CSIRO (Wu et al., 2019), more than 1.5 million Australians work across farming, processing, logistics and ag-tech. Many roles didn’t exist a decade ago. Drone operators map crops; data analysts track yield models; veterinarians manage biosecurity for exports. Agriculture has become a blend of tradition and technology, where innovation and labour share equal importance. 

Resilience through research and collaboration 

Australia’s changing climate keeps the sector in constant reinvention (Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, 2019). Producers and researchers are trialling carbon-smart cropping, renewable-powered machinery and perennial pastures that store more carbon and retain more moisture. Programs backed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry show how collaboration between industry, government and science is turning adaptation into progress. 

A national effort worth celebrating 

Every loaf of bread, fleece of wool and bottle of wine represents thousands of coordinated choices — from the farm to the lab, the processor, the truck and the dock. The breadth of this system is what makes Australian agriculture so resilient and globally competitive. 

So, on National Agriculture Day, take a moment to look across it all: the industries, the technologies, the workers and the landscapes. It’s that diversity that keeps Australian farming strong. 

References 

1. ABARES, 2025, Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2025, ABARES Insights, February, Canberra. CC BY 4.0.

2. Wynn, Katherine; Sebastian, Brian. Growth opportunities for Australian food and agribusiness. Canberra: CSIRO; 2019. csiro:EP2021-0971.

3. Wu W, Dawson D, Fleming-Muñoz D, Schleiger E and Horton J. 2019. The future of Australia’s agricultural workforce. CSIRO Data61: Canberra, Australia. 

4. Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (2019). Summary Report: Agricultural Innovation. Canberra: Australian Government.