
Farming Sector in Australia !!
As of 2024, the Australian agricultural sector continues to be a key contributor to the economy, showing significant growth and resilience. Here are the latest figures:
Gross Value of Farm Production: The sector has reached a new record, with the gross value of farm production estimated at $90 billion in 2023, marking substantial growth from previous years (National Farmers' Federation).
Contribution to GDP: The agricultural sector continues to play a vital role, contributing around 3% to Australia's total GDP, consistent with previous figures.
Farm Exports: The value of agricultural exports is expected to reach $69 billion in 2024-25. Although slightly down from the previous year due to lower crop exports, this figure remains the third-highest on record (AgriWater).
This growth highlights the sector's ongoing importance and resilience, despite challenges such as extreme weather conditions and fluctuating global market prices.
Problems/Challenges Faced by Australia's Farming Sector in Hiring a Workforce
Ageing workforce: There is a shortage of agricultural workers to fill the void left by the ageing workforce.
Competition from other industries (mining) like mining is diverting younger individuals away from agriculture.
Shortage of qualified and suitable agribusiness graduates – 50% decline in agricultural qualifications over the last decade.
Investment requirements – approximately $400b for farm ownership transitions and a further $600b to improve productivity.
Seasonality and Remote Locations:
One of the most prominent challenges facing the farming sector in Australia is the seasonal nature of agricultural work.
A significant shortage of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers during peak and non-peak seasons, resulting in significant productivity and financial losses
Workforce needs can increase by as much as 500% during peak periods.
Planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops require a significant labor force during peak seasons, creating a surge in demand that can overwhelm farm owners and managers.
Dairy farmers; pig, beef and sheep producers and grain growers confirmed labour shortages was their primary concern in the coming years
Compounding this issue is the remote location of many farms, situated in regional or rural areas far from urban centers where the majority of the population resides. This geographical isolation makes it difficult to attract and retain workers, especially those accustomed to the conveniences of city life.
Unskilled Workforce: Educating the Farmers is must (Initiatives should be taken towards providing free or affordable primary-level education to both urban and rural citizens. This will help them learn about the advanced farming practices that boost efficiency. Training seminars, workshops, and learning through agriculture extension services are essential for farmers in the agriculture sector as these ensure that the farmers eventually deploy the best practices on their farms)
Visa Regulations and Immigration Policies
Lack of transparency in farmer payments and completed workers: Unless growers request payslips and verify that these payslips are an accurate reflection of work undertaken and payments made to workers, it is difficult for them to confirm how the lump sum payment is divided amongst the relevant parties.
Benefits of using BACKUPP:
Understanding your Needs and helping to tackle the problem, by launching an awareness marketing campaign to promote the benefits of working in different farming areas and encouraging Australians to explore a job in farming.
Effectively securing competent team members for your organization can prove to be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor if not approached correctly. Backupp adheres to industry best practices, placing a strong emphasis on comprehending your business needs to ensure the recruitment of top-tier personnel.
Exceptional Quality Staff
Backupp maintains a cloud database of highly proficient candidates spanning various industries. We employ diverse online sourcing channels and leverage our extensive recruitment network to identify the most fitting resources for your specific business requirements.
Thorough Interviews
Each applicant undergoes individual interviews at Backupp to guarantee they align with your set standards. Our interview techniques, grounded in recruitment best practices, ensure that every presented candidate meets your stipulated criteria.
Rigorous and Verified Background Checks
Backupp employs automated tools to monitor and track compliance with labour laws. This includes accurate calculation of working hours, breaks, and overtime, ensuring that employees are compensated correctly and in accordance with Fair Work Australia. Backupp conducts comprehensive background checks on all candidates, recognizing the critical importance of ensuring that your new staff possesses the requisite skills and experience. Our thorough background checks encompass:
Police checks
In-depth reference verifications
Validation of qualifications, including scrutiny of educational institutions and professional affiliations
Enhance Workforce Skills and Training: Improving workforce skills and training is essential to solving the labour crisis in agriculture. We work to create customised training programmes that meet the needs of the Agriculture industry. A variety of skills, such as crop management, animal husbandry, machinery operation, and sustainable agricultural methods, ought to be covered in these programs.
Providing transparency in farmer payments and completed workers: to maintain proper compliance of payment to avoid high-risk for exploitation and wage theft by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Dashboard Overview
Company/Managers have a clear, real-time overview of staff schedules, hours worked, and compliance status. This aids decision-making and enables swift intervention if any issues arise
As an additional service, we offer a comprehensive package for Job Posting & Candidate Shortlisting. This includes preparing job specifications, crafting job advertisements, handling inquiries, shortlisting candidates, organizing interviews, and managing acceptance or rejection notifications.