Ninety-seven percent of 626 growers from around Australia who participated in the GrainGrowers survey tagged farm inputs, identifying input costs and availability, machinery/equipment repairs and parts and chemicals as the most significant challenge.
Other challenges identified by growers included trade and market access (43 per cent), workforce (38 per cent) and grain freight and supply chains (28 per cent), rounding out the top four issues.
Compared to the 2022 survey, more growers nominated drought, rising interest rates, climate variability and falling or low commodity prices as reasons why the industry could worsen over the coming year.
While overall grower sentiment declined, positive sentiment focused on improved technology, efficiency, and productivity gains, with growers showing a solid appetite for technological weed spraying, soil health innovations and new plant varieties.
A preference was also demonstrated for labour-saving innovations such as autonomous machinery and improved software.
The survey indicated that one in three growers are in an expansionary phase, with 22 per cent planning to increase cropping areas significantly or marginally due to more land availability and the potential for increased revenue.
GrainGrowers chief executive officer Shona Gawel said the survey results would help shape various activities undertaken for the grains industry.
“From our perspective, we deeply value the time growers take to participate and have their say,” she said.
“As a member-focused organisation, it is important to rigorously gather high-quality data to help shape activities undertaken to benefit our members.”
Ms Gawel said the data aligned strongly with the strategic direction of GrainGrowers, with six key areas identified as helping drive sustainability and profitability for grain businesses.
The six areas identified by respondents as being either extremely or moderately important are farm inputs (87 per cent), grain freight and supply chains (85 per cent), trade and market access (84 per cent), biosecurity (84 per cent), workforce (72 per cent) and carbon and climate (55 per cent).
Within these areas, the majority of growers flagged several significant focus areas, including: maintaining fuel tax credits; improving road, rail and ports infrastructure; reducing costs and improving farm input availability; increased domestic manufacture of critical farm inputs; diversifying markets for Australian grains; addressing mobile phone blackspots and internet connectivity; reducing freight and shipping costs; improving the transparency of grain pricing; and strengthening Australia’s biosecurity.
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