What is happening in Australia’s agricultural industry?

As scientists predict the dawn of a new agricultural revolution, up to 50% of the industry’s professionals are approaching retirement age. Employers say they are already losing some of their most senior staff, and in some cases have been forced to bring in staff from overseas to address the skills shortage. Professor Jim Gordan, the secretary of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, says, coupled with declining university enrollments, the loss of senior agriculture professionals means Australia is seeing a brain drain when it is needed most. He also comments that a generation is coming to the end of their working life and there is a bit of a gap there in terms of their successors. That gap is pretty wide in terms of the availability replacements. For example, a number of universities have been trying to employ lecturers in agricultural economy and it’s really, really hard to find people who are suitable. Earlier this month in a speech to international conference, the former Primary Industry’s Minister John Kerin highlighted an urgent need to address this very alarming situation. He points out that government agricultural agencies are being cut down. Agricultural research development is lessening. Agricultural education is slimming down quite rapidly at tertiary level and physical infrastructure is being underinvested. This is at a time when we are facing unprecedented agricultural production and environmental challenges. The state and federal agricultural agencies agree that a mass of losses of senior professionals is potential scenario for the industry. When contacted by the media, the federal department for agriculture, fisheries and forestry and several state agencies said they were aware of the projection and had funding grands and graduate programs and place to address the situation.