Coronavirus Australia: The positive story of the ag industry during a pandemic

This year has been a challenge for many industries, but agriculture is defying the odds and producing great results, writes Ed Gannon.

Successful sowing: Pulse growers and producers Claire & David Morgan from Rupanyup are having a bumper year with their crops. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

IT IS increasingly clear that while COVID-19 may have knocked society for six, it hasn’t put a significant dint in agriculture.

On all measures – business closures, staff layoffs, revenue and production levels – agriculture and agribusiness have generally been shielded from the full force of coronavirus.

Southern abattoirs have borne the brunt of disruption, with virus outbreaks and employee restrictions, while border closures have caused upheaval, but from the boardroom to the shearing board, businesses have generally been able to get on with the job of producing food and fibre.

A survey by consultancy Rimfire last month showed 64 per cent of agribusinesses will either increase or see no change in revenue in 2020. And only 5 per cent of agribusinesses have been forced to make redundancies, compared to 24 per cent in the wider business community.

That’s not to say it is all smooth sailing in ag.

The wool industry is facing intense headwinds as first China, then Europe, were crippled by the disease. That pushed down prices dramatically from the recent record highs growers have enjoyed.

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But others are powering along. Sheepmeat prices are strong, beef prices are good and major grain prices are relatively steady despite the prospect of a bumper worldwide harvest.

Dairy prices are also showing signs of rising, which is great news for a sector that seems to only attract bad news.

The latest edition of AgJournal is available to read online.

In this issue The Weekly Times dairy reporter Alex Sinnott looks at the past 50 years of dairy and asks the question: why does dairy always seem to be in crisis?

There is no crisis in Victoria’s Wimmera, where a burgeoning legumes and pulse industry has seen a new processing plant built and another on the drawing board. It is a great sign of agriculture powering ahead irrespective of the many challenges it faces.