Australia is a massive country with one of the biggest areas in the world. It is also one of the most difficult places on earth, with incredible stretches of vast desert, relentless heat, sporadic rains, and unworkable terrain. And yet, we make it work.
The farmers and agriculturalists of Australia make it work. Since we first saw crops domesticated around 10,000 years ago, there have been incredible advances in human development thanks to the continued supply of quality food. Crop production techniques have also advanced, and today the agricultural industry is highly sophisticated and very technological. Our Aussie farmers have managed to stay competitive in an increasingly difficult world market – despite the difficult conditions of many of our areas.
At EZ Machinery, we’re all about supporting our Aussie farmers and we want to celebrate the ability of our industry to adapt, to pivot, and to innovate. We want to explore some of the reasons why the Australian agricultural industry is so important and discuss some of the huge impacts that Aussie farmers have on the world.
Australian farmers affirm the security of our country
Australia is surrounded by sea – girt, if you will – and due to this, it’s increasingly secure. But it’s also at risk of being cut off. That said, because we have produced high quality, inexpensive, and safe food for many decades, we’re not at risk of a food crisis. We also export over $30 billion dollars’ worth of food annually. For this reason, we are an important player in the global food trade. That said, we produce enough food to feed only 2% of the population of Asia, so it’s difficult to quantify those figured on a global scale when we consider the impact. That said, Australian farmers produce safe and high quality food, and it’s for this reason that they contribute to the national security of our country.
Farming is a growing industry fuelled by innovation
The agricultural industry in Australia has a record of solid growth, with incredible global production as outlined above. We owe much of our success to our ability to develop and deliver new technologies for farming and making the most of what we have. When we consider that we’re capable of producing food on the driest inhabitable continent and yet manage to keep up performance – even despite low quality soils and with continued climate variation.
Australia’s agricultural industry has a strong interest in studies on climate change, and in the past our industry has explored and implemented research on the impacts, adaption and mitigation of climate change. We have the power to transform our agricultural industry and work towards enhanced national food security in the face of climate change concerns. We have the ability to make a significant contribution to ongoing research simply because of how arid and difficult Australian soils and conditions can be. We were not perfect in the past, and we made mistakes with how we managed our farming lands, but we have the opportunity now to move forward with innovation and research behind us.
Science-based food innovation will ensure a secure food future
We see a future in which large scale farming will dominate and where increased efficiency in production will result in high quality foods which are resistant to pest, disease, and environmental conditions. We will see genetic adjustments for farm animals and crops and will use this knowledge to predict performance under diverse conditions. Our knowledge will allow us to make decisions to develop new crop or animal breeds and will optimise the use of our resources.
We are already seeing farmers using diverse and innovative technology to change the way in which we engage with the land. In the future, we see farmers using data from a range of diverse sources and linking this information into sophisticated models, using the results to make critical agricultural decisions.
Agricultural Industry: Not just financial benefits
The benefits to Australia from our farming and agricultural industry are not just financial – we also see farmers working hard to push for sustainability. Farmers work tirelessly on soil cultivation, natural vegetation, water issues, and cultural and environmental concerns. Aussie farmers are dedicated to research and committed to being the best possible producers they can be. We know our Aussie farmers are resilient and also value quality.
You’re at the forefront of pioneering new change and are a driving force in our economy, creating new jobs and encouraging research and innovation. We are here to support our Aussie farmers with innovative machinery and tools which help to get the work done. EZ Machinery are for Aussie farmers.
