A FINANCIAL microscope will be put over vegetable production as the annual nation-wide industry survey gets underway.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has begun the 12th Australian Hort Innovation vegetable-growing industry survey, gathering information on Australia's $3.9 billion vegetable growing industry.
The survey will collect data about production, financial performance and socio-economic characteristics of about 300 vegetable growing farms, providing accurate information to industry and government.
Topics covered this year include farm structure, land use, production, capital, income, costs, debts, assets and farm labour for the 2017-18 financial year, and selected estimates for 2018-19.
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The 2019 survey began on March 4 and is expected to be completed by May. The results will be released in September 2019.
The aim is to provide industry information to manage challenges and plan for the future.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the survey results provide a national and state-by-state picture of the vegetable-growing industry and highlight the importance of the industry to the Australian economy.
"The Australian vegetable growing sector is an important source of food and a major contributor to jobs and the Australian economy," Mr Colbeck said.
"Investing consistently in information and tools that the industry needs to make the decisions will define the future success for the vegetable sector in Australia.
"Government and industry invest over $600 million annually in research and development and extension through our rural research and development corporations like Hort Innovation.
"It is the fourth most valuable agricultural industry in Australia, valued at $3.9 billion in 2016-17, and is also the backbone of many rural and regional economies and communities."
- Results from the past eleven surveys of vegetable growing farms are available here: agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/surveys/vegetables