Drought-breaking rains have almost single-handedly held the value of farm output firm, according to the National Farmers’ Federation’s 2020 Report Card.

The Report Card provides a pulse check of the NFF-led goal for agriculture to be a $100 billion industry by 2030, looking at policy and investment progress across the five key areas identified in the 2030 Roadmap.

Hampered by drought and bushfires and most recently by the global pandemic, farm output has remained steady at $61 billion during the past year.

“This is a good result given the gravity of the hurdles faced by farmers, namely a once-in-a-generation drought and the Black Summer bushfires.” NFF President Fiona Simson said.

“There is no doubt the widespread rains beginning in late summer, turned many farmers’ fortunes around.”

Ms Simson said agriculture was not at the coal face of the impacts of COVID-19, however the sector did need to mobilise to ensure the entire paddock to plate supply chain kept functioning. Key to this was agriculture’s classification as an essential service in the early days of the pandemic.

Ms Simson said COVID-19 had presented an opportunity to talk to all Australians about where their food and fibre came from.

“Throughout 2020, the NFF’s Telling Our Story initiative led public communications to ease concerns about food shortages and to highlight the role of agriculture in the nation’s economy recovery.

“Collectively these communications reached more than 20 million Australians and furthered the Roadmap goal for agriculture to be Australia’s most trusted industry by 2030.

Other highlights were a reduction in agriculture-related tertiary course fees and an increase in enrolments; funding to reinvigorate Farmsafe Australia; the launch of the Agriculture Sustainability Framework; the establishment of cross-sectorial investment vehicle Ag Innovation Australia, agriculture’s qualified commitment to a net-carbon-zero-by-2050 target and meaningful change towards gender parity in agriculture’s leadership roles.

Ms Simson said the Report Card also highlighted headwinds, namely ongoing trade disruptions, worker shortages – exacerbated by COVID-19 travel restrictions and a lack of adequate investment in biosecurity.

“There are certainly challenges on the horizon in the immediate to short term, which the NFF and our members are working closely with government on to navigate a positive result for farmers.

“But, as a bumper winter crop fills silos across the country and demand for red meat remains strong, the overall outlook is largely positive.

“This week, ABARES revised its agricultural production upward by 7 percent, predicting farm gate output to tally a record $65 billion in 2021. This is good news indeed as we work towards $100 billion by 2030,” Ms Simson said.