tiagagricultureforumreport.docx

tiagagricultureforumreport.docx

《tiagagricultureforumreport.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《tiagagricultureforumreport.docx（19页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

tiagagricultureforumreport

ReportontheTIAGIndustryForumonskills,educationandtrainingforAgriculture

PartA.Discussionbasedontheforumrecord

1.Introduction

TheTASTAIndustryAdvisoryGroup（TIAG）madethedecisiontoconveneanindustryforumonagriculturebasedonStateofGrowth,theStatestrategyforprimaryindustry.

Theforumwasheldon16June2004.

Thispaperispartoftheprocessofturningtheforumoutputsintoactions.Itisadiscussionpaperforapost-forumgroupthatwillfirmupandrecommendandagreeto,wherepossible,specificactionsbyarangeofstakeholders.

Thecontextoftheforumisillustratedbysomeofthestatisticsbelow:

TheAgricultureWorkforce

Thefollowingchartsprovideasnapshotoftheagricultureworkforcefromthe2001Census,withacomparisonwiththeTasmanianpopulation（June2003）.

∙8,700peopleemployedinagriculture（vegetables2,100;dairyfarming1,900;sheep1,500;fruit1,000;beef800;sheep-beef700）

∙Another6,300employedinfoodandbeveragemanufacturing

∙52%oftheworkforceinAgricultureisover44,only10%isunder25（thecomparativefiguresforthewholeworkforceare36%and16%）

∙17%areatleast60（wholeworkforce5.1%）

∙68%offarmersandfarmmanagershavenopost-schoolqualification（55%fortheworkforce）

TheStatelabourforce

Unemploymentisat6.6%,downfrom8.8%in2001andmuchhigherlevelsearlier.

Whatarethemessagesaboutworkforceskillsfromthesestatistics?

∙Notonlywilltherebeaneedforalargerworkforce,therewillbeaneedtoreplacepeopleleaving.

∙Thewholeworkforcewillneedmoreskillsandnewskills.

∙Therearefewerpeoplelookingforwork.

∙Thereisstrongcompetitionfornewentrantstotheworkforceandalimitedlocalsupply.

∙Skillsandlabourissuesneedtobeconsideredonawholeofindustrybasis.

∙NeworinnovativeapproachestoworkforceskillsmaybenecessarytomeettheobjectivesofStateofGrowth.

2.StateofGrowthandchangesinAgriculture

2.1TheStateofGrowth

TheStateofGrowthisanambitiousprojecttostrategicallyexpandTasmania’sprimaryindustriesandensuretheirlong-termprosperity.

Itprovidessupportforproducers,processors,transporters,wholesalersandretailers–thekeypeopleandorganisationsworkingtogethertogrowourState’sprimaryproduceandexports.

TheStateofGrowthwillguidedecision-makingthroughoutalllevelsoftheTasmanianGovernmentanditsagencies.Itwillbeusedtoprioritisepoliciesandallocateresourcesinfivepriorityareas:

∙Marketdevelopmentandaccess;

∙Waterdevelopmentandsustainablemanagement;

∙Investment,innovationandcompetitiveness;

∙Buildingonourislandadvantage;and

∙Managingournaturalresources.

Thisbetterapproachfocusesonpartnershipsandalliances,concentratingGovernmentresourcesonactivitieswithidentifiedpotential.

TheStateofGrowthtalksabout:

∙Thecapacitytosignificantlyboostproduction,employmentandprofitability

∙Skilldevelopmentforalllinksinthesupplychain

∙Increasedemployment

∙Skillsdevelopment-amajorchallenge

∙Uncertainavailabilityofcasuallabour

∙Availabilityoflabourandproductionskills

∙Anemphasisonbusinessskillsandproductqualityassuranceasanaidtocompetitiveness.

2.2ChangesinAgriculture

2.2.1Businessconditionsandpractices

AgricultureremainsamainstayoftheStateeconomylargelyrelyingontheabilitytosellprofitablyintonationalandinternationalmarkets.Thisfactsetsthecontextofmanyofthechangesandchangemanagementissues.Theforumdiscussedmany.Someofthemainonesrelatedtotheoverallpressuresfromincreasingbusinesscomplexity,technology,decliningmarginsandcompetitivepressureresultinginaneedformoreandhigherlevelbusinessandmanagementskillsinAgriculture.Thisincludesproductresearch,marketresearch,financialmanagement,humanresourcemanagementandmarketing.Itincludestheabilitytorespondtoalltheexternalpressuresbeingplacedonagriculturalproducersandtheneedtotakeadvantageofopportunitiessuchasverticalintegration,diversification,bothintonewagriculturalareasandintoareassuchastourismandthepossibilitiesofferedbycooperativeapproachestoarangeofbusinesspractices.

Therearearangeofknownandpossiblefinancialissuessuchastaxation,exchangerates,costincreasesbothforagriculturalinputs,（includingwater,land,labour）andforarangeofriskmanagement,safetyandenvironmentalissues,lowermargins,interestrates,leasing,E-commerce.

Occupationalhealthandsafetycamethroughintheforumasamajorissuenowandinthefuture.

AgriculturehassynergieswithTourism,thestrongestgrowingareaoftheStateeconomy.Agricultureisbecomingmorecorporatised;therearelargerbusinessunitsandmorecomplexbusinessstructures.Itisabusinessratherthanalifestyle,althoughthereistheseachangeorhobbyfarmercomponentoftheindustrythatneedstomovewithmainstreamproducersorriskbeingaproblem.

Generallypeopleinagricultureneedtodomuchmore,anddoitmorecleverlythanbeforetomaintainfinancialviability.

2.2.2Theoperatingenvironment

Thegrowthinexternalfactorsimpactingontheaverageagriculturaloperatorishuge.Itincludeseverythingfromthreatsofbio-terrorismtoalackofunderstandingbytheurbanmajority.

Thereisarangeofderegulationandregulationissues;thereisthedeclineinruralcommunitiesandservices,flowingthroughtoimpactsontheagriculturalworkforce.Thereistheincreasedenvironmentalawarenessandunderstandingofthelinksbetweenagriculturalpractice,communityhealthandeconomicsustainability.Agricultureisnotimmunefromthegenerationalchangesthatareimpactingeverywhere;thingssuchaschangesinattitudestoworkorsocialissuesandthereareagriculturalissuesthathavebecomegeneralcommunitytopicssuchasGMOsandorganics.

Whilemarketsbecomelessregulated,newissuesaroundthingslikehealth,safety,competitionpolicyoremploymenthaveintroducednewsetsofimposedcontrolsandregulations.Combinedwiththeperceptionthatthereisadisjointbetweenurbanandruralcommunitiesisthepressureemanatingfromurbancommunitiesforgreatercontrolsoveractivity,competitionforlanduse,urbanexpansionandexpectationsthatpublicresourcessuchaswaterarerecognizedashavingeconomicvalue.

Themovementofpeopleandproductsandthepushforreducedbarrierstotradebringsubstantialthreatsthroughexoticpestsanddiseasesaswellaseconomicthreatsasmorepowerfulnationshavelesspressuretocomplywithmovestofreeupaccesstoprotectedmarkets.

DespitethedifficultiesTasmaniastillbenefitsfromtherelativeisolationandthe“clean,green”reputationthatTasmanianproducestillhas.

TasmaniamayalsobenefitfromtheinevitablerestrictionsonwateruseinotherStateswheresomeagriculturalactivitysuchasdairyingmaynotbeabletopaymarketratesforwater.

2.2.3Farmproduction

TheproductmixemergingfromTasmanianagricultureisalsosubjecttogreatchangeasmarketsandopportunitieschange.Thereisbothincreaseddiversityandspecializationinnewareas.Therehavebeenshiftsfromgrazingtocropping,increasedintensivecropping,manynewcropsandnewventures,decreasesinsomeorchardfruitbutgrowthinotherssuchasstonefruitsandwalnuts.Thereisgrowthofnichemarketproductsandbetteraccesstodistantmarkets.Therehasbeensomeincreaseinorganicsbutgenerallymuchgreatersophisticationinchemical,waterandlanduse.

Thereisanincreasingtrendtocombineagriculturewithtourismandretailbusinessactivity.

Diversificationalsoextendstoplantationfarmingandfishfarming.

Thewineindustryisexpandingrapidlyandbecomingmoreabigbusinessactivityandblueberries,olives,nutsandtrufflesaresomeofmanyneworexpandingproducts.

2.2.4Technology

Changingtechnologyisapervasiveforcethatisimpactingacrossallagriculturalactivityandbringingwithitproblemsofunderstanding,management,opportunitiesandcost.

Increasedmechanizationinagriculturalproductionisnotnewbutiscontinuingrapidly.Thetechnologyandscienceassociatedwithfarmsystems,irrigationandpestorweedcontrolisincreasinglyimportant.Electroniccommunicationsystems,E-commerce,computerandinternetbasedbusinessandfarmmanagementsystemsareallpartofmodernoperations.Theseallchangetheeconomicsofagriculturalactivity,changetheroleoflabourandrequirenewsetsofskills.

2.2.5Customerexpectations

Customersinbothretailandwholesalemarketsarebecomingmoreinformed,strongerandaredemandingmorefromproducers.Quality,freshness,GMOs,organics,freedomfromchemicalsandpesticidesaswellasaestheticsisallissues.Foodsafetyisamajorfactorforconsumersandhasresultedinextremelyhighstandardsimposedbylargeretailchainsthatusefreshnessandcleanlinessasamarketingadvantage.Whilethishasproducedmajortechnicaladvancessuchasinpackagingsaladproducts,thesanitizationoffarmproducethroughtheretailprocessiscontributingtothedistancebetweenconsumersandproducersandaddingtothelackofunderstandingbetweenagriculturalactivityandthegeneralurbancommunity.

Productionforexportisalsofacingtheimpactofthediscerningconsumerandstandardsarealsohighandsubjecttotheimpactofexoticdiseasethreats.Inaddition,overseasbuyersofagriculturalproductswillreadilyswitchsourcesaccordingtomarketconditionsleavinglocalproducerssubjecttothewhimsofforeignprotectionanddumpingpractices.Notonlyoverseasbuyers,butalsolocalretail