Australian agriculture’s leaders gathered at Parliament House in Canberra tonight to celebrate the sector reaching $100 billion in farmgate output four years ahead of schedule and to begin the conversation about the next national north star for Australian agriculture.
Hosted by the National Farmers’ Federation in Parliament’s Great Hall, the $100 billion celebration brought together more than 300 leaders from across agriculture, government, business and regional Australia, including the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the Leader of the Opposition Angus Taylor and dozens of parliamentarians from across the political spectrum.
The event recognised a milestone first set by the NFF in 2018, when the $60 billion industry challenged itself to reach $100 billion by 2030. Earlier this year, Australian agriculture reached $101.4 billion, meaning the industry has passed the target four years early despite droughts, bushfires, floods and global disruption.
NFF President Hamish McIntyre said the achievement belonged to farmers and to the supply chains, researchers, businesses, communities and successive governments that helped carry it forward.
“This milestone did not happen by accident. It happened because Australian farmers backed themselves, took risks, adapted, innovated and kept producing some of the best food and fibre in the world through some tough conditions.”
The celebration included a symbolic signing of the original $100 billion pledge, closing the chapter on a target that became a north star for the sector and a shared goal across industry, government, policy, investment and innovation.
Attributable to the Prime Minister:
“Australian farmers work hard every day to put food on our tables and export some of the best produce in the world.
“Conflict in the Middle East has put pressure on global supply chains and that’s why my Government has acted to secure shiploads of fuel and fertiliser to get farmers and producers through planting and cropping.
“We are also looking to the future, investing in a government-owned, 1 billion litre strategic fuel reserve.
“We’ve been preparing for H5 bird flu, investing more than $113 million to strengthen our response including the ongoing roll out of vaccines for wild bird species.
“My Government is investing in our agriculture sector to build our nation up and grow our success.
“We’ll keep backing Australian farmers and the regional communities that rely on them.”
Attributable to the Leader of the Opposition:
“Tonight, we celebrate another achievement in Australian farming: Australian agriculture has become a $100 billion farmgate industry.
“This is a story of hard-working Australian farmers who have fed and clothed our nation. A story of aspirational Australian farmers around whom country towns have been built and regions have thrived. A story of enterprising Australian farmers whose business and exports have generated wealth that’s helped build our great country.
“The Australian achievement would not have been possible without our pioneering farmers and our agricultural history.
“I thank the NFF for bringing this event together and celebrating our national success in agriculture.”
The next chapter for agriculture
NFF Chief Executive Officer Michael Guerin said reaching $100 billion was not the end of the story, but the moment to ask the question now on everyone’s lips: what comes next?
“Tonight, we have celebrated what becomes possible when an industry sets a clear goal and people organise around it,” Mr Guerin said.
“Now that we have arrived four years early, our responsibility is to ask: what should Australian agriculture look like in 10 years and what bold ambition could bring us together to create that future?”
Mr Guerin announced the NFF will partner with AgriFutures Australia over the next 12 months to lead a national conversation about what comes after $100 billion, combining the NFF’s convening role with AgriFutures’ systems-thinking expertise.
“The process will bring a broader range of voices to the National Table, testing questions about long-term farm profitability, value creation, careers and communities, and agriculture’s role in Australia’s prosperity, food security, landscapes and national resilience.”
The next national industry ambition will be launched at the NFF national conference, AgXchange, in Adelaide from 23 to 25 August 2027.
“The $100 billion story shows what we can achieve when we choose a destination and walk towards it together,” Mr Guerin said.
“Tonight, we celebrate that destination. And together, we begin shaping the next one.”