SA’s $17bn harvest: Farm exports surge provides huge economic boost, agribusiness scorecard finds

South Australia’s agriculture sector has soared to a new level, producing a multibillion-dollar economic boost via bumper crops and profits, a new annual scorecard finds.

Bill Efrosinis and Sandy Losefellis at YFRESH Premium Fresh Jujubes at Glossop in the Riverland. Picture: Ben Clark

South Australia’s world-leading agriculture sector produced a record year of crops and produce, providing a multibillion-dollar economic boost, a new official report states.

The SA Primary Industries and Regions annual scorecard, published on Tuesday, found SA’s total agribusiness revenue surged almost $2bn to $17.3bn during financial year 2021/22.

State government officials are “cautiously optimistic” for more growth despite ongoing global market and supply chain disruptions, including the Ukraine war, floods, bushfires and rising inflation.

In response to inquiries, Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven said the regions were a vital part of the SA economy.

“Despite the challenges of recent years, these results clearly demonstrate the sector’s resilience and significant contribution to the state’s economy,” she said.

Driven by record yields for grain crops and livestock, SA’s nine major industries all boosted revenues last year except for wine due to Chinese bans, while trade with every top-10 major trading country bar Britain rose.

The 32-page report, which provides detailed analysis on each sector using a variety of measures, reported total exports had surged by almost a fifth, to $12bn.

Agri-related products were 51 per cent of state’s total merchandise exports.

But it reported a 4 per cent slump of 3000 regional workers to 71,000 people working in country areas despite “strong demand” for more staff.

“Attracting and training the workforce required for the future continues to be an important focus across the sector,” the report concluded.

The report also warned of other “challenges” including freight rates which “despite having fallen considerably remained high on several routes”, farm costs still being too high and producers, such as winemakers, battling Chinese restrictions and trade bans such as tariffs, or an import tax.

Primary Producers SA chairman Professor Simon Maddocks hailed the results and praised farmers for their “significant contribution”.

“Primary industry is at the core of the South Australian economy, underpinning our tourism, food and wine sectors,” he said.

Riverland fruit growers Sandy Iosefellis, 52, and her partner of 20 years, Bill Efrosinis, 50, are hopeful of another record producing year on their 8ha property, called YFRESH, at Glossop, 236km northeast of Adelaide.

The couple, who have three children and a trio of grandchildren, have been growing the Asian “honey apple” delicacy at Glossop, on Berri’s western fringes, for six years.

Bill Efrosinis and his partner grow quinces, jujubes and persimmons at Glossop. Picture: Ben Clark

They have sustainable food production, such as specialised packaging and responsible water use, for 2ha of Shanxi Li jujubes – said to have 40 per cent more vitamin C content than citrus – 3ha of quinces and 3ha of persimmons.

But it is the large orchard nets that are fuelling bulging yields, protecting from UV light, wind, hail and hungry local birds. Ms Iosefellis, who exports to Europe and Asia, said it was “too expensive” to risk extreme weather damage.

“You’re at risk of losing your hard-fought markets if you’re not around for a year or two after an extreme weather event that destroys yields – we had three last year,” she said.