Jan Davis: Jobs sector on fertile ground

There are many myths about agriculture that present a picture of an industry living in the past to our city cousins. And the media doesn’t help either. They’ve succumbed to the ‘Hanrahan’ version of farming: almost every time they show a farmer, it is someone old and grizzled, wearing a battered hat, leaning on a fence complaining about something.

You may not have noticed it, but Tasmanian agriculture is not like that. Our industry is having a makeover. We are younger; we are smarter; and we’re early adopters of a range of technological solutions. No longer do we do it the old way because that was always good enough and it worked. Today we have to be lean, quick and efficient; and we have to be smarter than our competitors.

Look at the Sense-T program: world leading technology being proven on Tasmanian farms. The first fully robotic dairy in the southern hemisphere is in Tasmania. There are also some great case study video clips on our website showing uptake of new technologies on farm.

Modern Tasmanian farmers do not try to do everything themselves – there are simply not enough hours in the day and the level of at-risk investment is too high. They use specialists; they contract out; they make the best use of their own time; they make the best use of their resources; and they research before they decide on a course of action. Nothing is left to chance and, with expanding irrigation and other new technologies, they even try to take the weather and the climate out of the equation.

As a result, a career in the modern agriculture sector offers a diverse range of opportunities.

The agriculture operations sector is primarily involved in growing things including the food we eat, fibre for the clothes we wear, and the plants and flowers that provide so much pleasure in our gardens. Someone might start here as a farm hand and work their way up to running their own business providing produce to top city restaurants. They might oversee packhouse operations or work as an agronomist. They might work in the nursery and garden sector, and be involved in garden design and maintenance; tree care; or parks and gardens.

The agriculture services sector provides the services that enable the production sector to operate at maximum efficiency and continually improve their performance. Occupations in this sector are very diverse and include areas such as: marketing; packaging; value added processes; scientific research; extension activities; mechanics and building; logistics; and transport and distribution.

New career paths are also available in the environment sector, too: land management and conservation; climate change; irrigation and water management; and biosecurity to name just a few.

Or there are careers offering a wider industry view, through areas such as industry representation and policy development; journalism and media; consulting and analysis; teaching; or a myriad of roles in government agencies.

As well as all these possibilities, there is strong demand for a full range of general business skills: business planning; financial management; human resources; OHSE; quality assurance programs; customer service; administration etc.

There can be no argument: agriculture will continue to be one of Tasmania’s key economic drivers as sure as night follows day. Other industries may rise and fall in their impact and their attraction, but food produced in one of the best climates on earth will always be in demand; and farmers will always require highly skilled labour and professional advisors to deliver their products to market.

And this shows the recent discussion about farms taking on unskilled unemployed people to be ill-informed and misguided. These days, farm hand and harvester roles need specific skills. They play important roles in ensuring quality assurance, animal welfare, and the presentation of food at retail level. These factors are all key determinants in the price that the farmer ultimately receives for his product. No farm business can afford to carry untrained unskilled workers when margins in the industry are so small.

Agriculture attracts a diverse range of people, from school leavers to those seeking a sea change or a way to make a contribution to the community. Our diversity makes us interesting and it makes us attractive to more newcomers, more innovators.

Working in agriculture offers tangible results and immediate satisfaction. People who work in our industry contribute to improving quality of life for all Australians, through producing clean, green and fabulous food and fibre products. And they make a real difference, every day.
TFGA chief executive Jan Davis