Australian agriculture is outperforming every major industry on productivity, but without sustained investment in innovation, infrastructure and extension, future growth is at risk, Elders has cautioned at evokeAG 2026.
Addressing delegates from over 18 countries at Australia’s premier agrifood innovation event in Melbourne, Elders Managing Director and CEO, Mark Allison, said agriculture, forestry and fisheries recorded a 7.3 per cent increase in multifactor productivity between the 2022–23 and 2023–24 financial years, the strongest result of any major sector.
“This reflects decades of investment, innovation and determination by Australian producers,” Mr Allison said.
“But productivity is not guaranteed and it cannot be taken for granted.”
With more than 185 years supporting Australian farmers, Elders said producers are facing unprecedented and competing demands, from producing more food at scale to feed a growing population, to managing climate adaptation, biodiversity, emissions transparency and volatile global markets.
“For producers to deliver, they need the right infrastructural and institutional support; policy, funding and mechanisms that genuinely help lift productivity on farm,” Mr Allison said.
While agriculture remains a national productivity leader, long‑term trends show growth has slowed significantly since 2000, with Australia now trailing key competitors including the United States and Canada.
“There is a growing risk of multi‑speed productivity where top, large-scale farming operations remain world‑leading, but the average slips behind.”
“Too often, innovation is bottlenecked at the top and fails to translate into real‑world outcomes.”
Elders outlined how the company is investing directly in productivity across supply chains, infrastructure and on‑farm capability.
New world‑class wool handling facilities opened in 2024 are reducing costs per bale and improving times to market for growers.
The opening of Elders’ AgriToll facility in Rockingham, WA, in 2025 is strengthening supply chain resilience for crop protection products.
Mr Allison stated that continued investment in Elders’ agronomy and animal health network is accelerating the translation of research into on‑farm practice.
“In a global environment defined by supply chain fragility, productivity is not just an operational issue but a strategic one,” Mr Allison said.
Looking ahead, Elders identified four key drivers that will shape agricultural productivity over the next decade: digital transformation, climate adaptation, sustainability as productivity, and people and capability.
“Productivity does not happen by chance, it happens by design,” Mr Allison said.
“If we continue to invest in partnerships, people, innovation and in turning research into real‑world application, the decade ahead can be one of the most productive and prosperous in Australian agriculture’s history.”
Elders said it remains committed to working with industry, government and research organisations to ensure productivity gains continue to reach farmers on the ground.