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the australian farmer
more sophisticated given the acceleration of advanced tools like agritech and robotics. By the end of this decade, there will be ap- proximately one-quarter of a million ag jobs that need to be filled. Another concern I have relates to the typ- ically long investment cycles found in ag. The Australian ag industry is enjoying record economic growth and we should be doubling down to maximise its full potential. Farmers and their suppliers, whether they are in crop protection, machinery, fertiliser, or ICT, need to have stability over an extended period to have the confidence to invest in ag. Too much regulation is known to stifle investment.
important. There are, fortunately, more and more digital tools available to growers to help manage risk. A formal risk qualification, while not essential, is an option for some who want to stay ahead of the game. I have visited many agricultural economies around the world and, when it comes to man- aging risk, I rate Australian farmers as some of the most adept globally. This was one of the first things I observed when arriving in this country in late 2022. And they should be emboldened by this quality, especially given the sheer diversity of the natural environ- ment they operate in – which is virtually un- paralleled. TAF: What fills you with confidence with the future of Australian ag? KF: Lots of things. Mostly, it’s Australian farmers’ fierce dedication to efficiency. They know how to make the best of situations and, when confronted with a problem, they will either find a way to solve it or seek another opinion; collaboration and sharing ideas are very strong in this country. And, like Canadian farmers, there is a sense of pride Austral- ian farmers have in their operations; a good thing. The strong relationship between Aus- tralian agriculture and Canadian agriculture economies, including talent sharing, is also a positive. Further, with the convergence of forces at both the ag buyer and ag supplier, the economic opportunity presented to Aus- tralian farmers by the explosion of sustaina- bility practices cannot be overstated. TAF: What are you anxious about with the future of Australian ag? KF: Workforce security, mostly. The right quality and quantity of people for the scores of different types of ag jobs is a nationally important priority. Australia absolutely does have a lot of great people, both depth and breadth. But we need to be always thinking about how to fill these jobs of the future, es- pecially as ag is only going to get more and
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