http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48H7zOQrX3U
Some things we do on farms have changed
and some things haven’t:
 Distance
matters less
 Location can matter more (branding)
 Sustainability is mainstream
 Communication to the end consumer is
vital
 Demand drives productivity
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The world’s population is growing
Demand for food is increasing
The pressure on farms to improve
productivity is relentless
There are great opportunities to grow the
food and fibre required for our region
The attractiveness of agriculture as a
career is an issue we have to face up to
Who will inspire the next generation?
It’s up to all of us!
Rebecca White
Farmers daughter
Passionate about agriculture
Member of Parliament
The electorate of Lyons, Tasmania
Water
Tasmania does enjoy a
very significant water
advantage. Comprising
just 1% of Australia’s
land-mass, we have
twice the run-off of the
entire Murray Darling
Basin.
We enjoy 12% of
Australia’s rainfall.
Irrigation
The Federal and State
government is investing
$220 million to provide 95
per cent water surety to
thousands more
hectares of farmland.
The project equates to
more than a $400 million
investment in Tasmanian
agricultural infrastructure.
Tasmanian Irrigation
www.tasmanianirrigation.com.au
There are currently 14 irrigation
projects at different stages
across Tasmania.
Each is unique in design and the
involvement of the local farming
groups is an integral part of the
process. The farmers identify
where the water is required and
how much and TI work to deliver
a scheme that meets the
demand in a sustainable way.
A key consideration for each
project is to provide 95% surety of
water over a 100 year period.
Sustainability of schemes
 Environmental
considerations
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Immediate impact on the landscape
considering physical construction required
as well as water flow management.
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Future impact of the scheme on each
individual property considered by
completing Water Access Plans.
Climate change
 Each
scheme considers the impact of the
climate now and in the future by using
modelling to predict future climate
behaviour.
 The
CSIRO has provided information to TI
through its Tasmania Sustainable Yields
project
Wealth from Water
 The
Tasmanian Government has
partnered with the Tasmanian Institute of
Agriculture to conduct in depth analysis
looking at particular climatic and land
characteristics to better help farmers
identify the crops they can successfully
and sustainably grow.
Midlands Irrigation scheme
case study area:
The Department of
Primary Industries, Parks,
Water and Environment
(DPIPWE) commenced
climate monitoring and
soil surveying over a 12
month period to inform
enterprise suitability
maps for a variety of
potential land uses
Midlands
scheme
 Volume
38,500ML
 Project cost
$104m
 Irrigable area
55,648ha
Suitability factors for growing
different crops
 The
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture has
identified the suitability factors for assisting
in site selection for a range of crops in
Tasmania.
 Climate, landscape and soil were
mapped and industry was consulted to
ensure the final data accurately identifies
the suitability of particular areas for
particular crops.
Poppy growing in Tasmania
 One
crop examined in detail was poppies
 From this, critical factors were identified
that impact on the success of a poppy
crop in Tasmania
 The information gathered from this work is
available as a factsheet as are factsheets
for other industries:
www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wealthfromwater
SenseT – a state wide sensor
network for Tasmania
 Sensors
collect real time data
 This information can be integrated with
other data sets
 SenseT will be accessible by the
community
 Its application on farm will improve
efficiency and productivity
Tasmania is serious about Ag
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Agriculture contributes to 5 per cent of Gross
State Product
This increases to 16 per cent of Gross State
Product when post-farm activities are
included
Tasmania’s agriculture and fishing industries
are worth around $1.6 billion annually at the
farm gate and $2.7 billion in packed and
processed food products – not including the
additional value from wool, poppies and
pyrethrum.
Growth in Tasmania
Within the decade we have the opportunity
to:
 Double
our dairy production
 Double our aquaculture; and
 Quadruple our wine production
Population projections
World agrifood demand by
region
World agrifood demand by
commodity grouping
Australian agrifood production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFUZ_j2cCe0
R&D investment key
 “Australia
needs to remain competitive to
meet the opportunities that higher global
agrifood demand will provide. If
Australian agriculture is to maintain
productivity growth in the face of land
and water constraints, ongoing
investment in research and development
will become increasingly important.” ABARES
Food demand to 2050: Opportunities for Australian agriculture
Attracting the right people
 More
than 4000 jobs are advertised
seeking agricultural professionals annually.
 Conversely the number of graduates from
Australian Universities with these skills is
declining with less than 20% of the
number needed graduating to satisfy the
job market
 The challenge is to attract students to
pursue a career in agriculture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAX-po3DPrk&feature=youtu.be
Changing perceptions
 Agriculture
is an exciting career choice
 There are many opportunities
 Tasmania is the place to be!
 Ultimately it is up to all of us to promote
the industry as an attractive career
choice.