NFF Horticulture Council

About the NFF Horticulture Council

The Council is the recognised peak body for forming policy and advocating on behalf of the national horticulture industry. Established in 2017, it now comprises 19 national commodity and state-based horticulture bodies, who together represent the full breadth of an incredibly diverse industry.

The Council develops policy positions on common issues of national importance to the horticulture industry such as trade, workforce, biosecurity, farm business, climate change and sustainability, markets and competition, R&D, telecommunications and infrastructure. 

With a broad remit, the Council is focused in particular on these core priorities on behalf of the industry:

Access to a secure, reliable and productive seasonal labour workforce.
Industrial agreements that deliver fairness and productivity.
Efficient, transparent and fair domestic wholesale and retail markets for horticultural products.
Expanded export market access and trade in horticultural products.
Freedom from pests and diseases that impact production, resulting from an efficient, effective, properly resourced, and equitable national biosecurity system.

The Council is a member of the NFF, free to establish and advance its own policy positions and responses issues impacting the horticulture industry.

National Horticulture Compliance Survey

The Horticulture Council is calling on all levels of government and supply chain partners to commit to an urgent review of the burden of compliance being carried by business.

The Council will be drafting a discussion paper, with the results of its National Horticulture Compliance Survey 2025 as the foundation, to engage a wider audience in deliberation of those core issues and challenges to creating a more balanced and streamlined compliance environment that require collective action.

Policies

The Council is developing policy position statements on issues of importance to the national horticulture industry. Policy statements provide clarity and help ensure all members are aligned and stakeholders understand the Council’s priorities and principles.

Dedicated Seasonal Visa

The Council strongly supports the development and implementation of a well-designed Australian Agriculture Visa that meets the needs of the national horticulture industry.

Policy position statement

PALM Scheme

The Council strongly opposes the planned changes that would require Approved Employers to guarantee 30 hours of work each and every week, and instead calls for a return to averaging over the course of a placement.

Policy position statement – PALM scheme

Policy position statement – PALM minimum hours

Regulation and Compliance

The Council considers compliance and regulation a last resort, promotes industry self-regulation wherever possible, but does acknowledge the important role regulation and compliance can play, where necessary, in maintaining and building public confidence and trust in the industry.

Policy position statement

Data Sovereignty and Use

The Council advocates for a series of principles and practices to be applied by all parties engaged storing, controlling and processing of data associated with the national horticulture industry.

Policy position statement

The Council strongly supports the development and implementation of a well-designed Australian Agriculture Visa that meets the needs of the national horticulture industry.

Policy position statement

Policy position statement – PALM scheme

Policy position statement – PALM minimum hours

Policy position statement

The Council advocates for a series of principles and practices to be applied by all parties engaged storing, controlling and processing of data associated with the national horticulture industry.

Policy position statement

Submissions

The Council regularly engages with, and makes submissions in response to, a wide range of consultation and review processes of government and its agencies on policy areas of priority for the national horticulture industry.

APVMA Strategic Plan

National Horticulture Roadshow grant program

National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) Horticulture Council is pleased to announce the 20 successful applicants for the National Horticulture Roadshow grant program.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and delivered by the NFF and the NFF’s Horticulture Council, this initiative is set to fund and promote a series of exceptional industry events across the country, driving innovation and community engagement.

The grants range from $10,000 to $40,000 with successful events set to take place in Victoria, South Australia, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, ACT and Western Australia over the next 12 months.

Details of the successful events and further information about the National Horticulture Roadshow can be found here.

Learn more