Number one issue for each Australian agriculture commodity 2023

The ongoing outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and lumpy skin disease in Indonesia have beef producers on high alert, with 88.4pc saying protecting Australia's biosecurity was the number one concern.

The biggest issue for sheep farmers was roads and transport infrastructure (82.5pc). Three years of heavy rain and multiple floods have disintegrated rural roads to the point that many producers have struggled to get their stock off farm and to abattoirs.

The entire agriculture industry is still struggling to find enough workers, but cotton was the only sector to list it as the number one issue (74.8pc).

The labour shortage appears to be affecting cotton growers more, with their often remote location making it difficult to attract the semi-skilled workforce they require.

Wool (86.4pc) and dairy (77.3pc) were the only commodities to share the same number one concern - international trading relationships - but for different reasons. About 80 to 90pc of Australia's wool goes to China, which is currently going through an economic downturn. Talk of a Chinese recession has the industry nervous given its single market concentration.

The dairy industry is worried about the ongoing free-trade deal negotiations with the European Union.

The EU has so far been unwilling to yield its demand for Australia to introduce several 'geographical indicators', which would restrict producers from using terms such as feta, parmesan and haloumi unless they were produced in a specific European region. The dairy industry estimates the introduction of GIs cost up to $95m a year.

Sugarcane producers said their biggest concern was mining or energy developments on farmland (77.5pc), which didn't rank among the top three for any other commodity. The angst stems from several renewable energy large developments in North Queensland's cane country, including solar farms in the Burdekin region and Far North Tablelands wind farms.

The horticulture industry is worried about the upcoming workplace laws (78.2pc) that could drastically change the rules around short-term and casual labour. The government has flagged an industrial relations overhaul, which could see employers forced to pay labour hire workers the same as full-time workers after six months.

The grains, oilseeds and pulses sector say federal environmental laws (80.2pc) were the biggest issue.

The government is reviewing the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which could increase red tape on industries, while the growing requirement to prove environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials, driven by the European market, is increasingly placing the burden on producers.

Beef

1. Protecting Australia's biosecurity - 88.4%

2. Roads and transport infrastructure - 86.3%

3. Federal climate change policies - 85.9%

Sheepmeat

1. Roads and transport infrastructure - 82.5%

2. Market power of processors/supermarkets - 82.1%

3. Federal environment laws - 81.9%

Wool

1. Overseas trading relationships - 86.4%

2. Market power of processors/supermarkets - 84.4%

3. Federal climate change policies - 83.3%

Grains/Oilseeds/Pulses

1. Federal Environment Laws - 80.2%

2. Roads and transport infrastructure - 79.9%

3. Protecting Australia's biosecurity - 77.9%

Sugarcane

1. Mining/energy developments on farmland - 77.5%

2. Federal environment laws - 76.5%

3. Workplace (industrial relations) laws - 74.2%

Cotton

1. Worker shortages - 74.8%

2. Local services (health, education etc) - 74.0%

Market power of processors/supermarkets - 74.0%

Dairy

1. Overseas trading relationships - 77.3%

2. Worker shortages - 75.5%

3. Federal climate change policies - 73.6%

Horticulture (Fruit/Vegetables)

1. Workplace (industrial relations) laws - 78.2%

Market power of processors/supermarkets - 78.2%

2. Local services (health, education etc) - 77.6%