Agriculture accounts for a significantly larger proportion of economic activity and employment in Tasmania than in any other state or territory. And it’s something that Tasmania is good at: agriculture is one of only five industries where labour productivity in Tasmania is higher than the corresponding national industry average. That’s also reflected in the relatively higher value of Tasmanian agricultural land (per hectare) than the national average. But Tasmanian farmers face similar challenges to their counterparts in other states – including an increasingly uncertain international trading environment, climate change, bio-security risks and declining productivity growth. And Tasmanian farmers have a few challenges of their own – such as above-average electricity and freight costs. They underline the importance of achieving higher yields, and/or higher prices, than elsewhere.

2025-08-21 FarmX Woolmers