Beyond the Paddock: revealing the value of WA agriculture
CAVE Director, Professor Marit Kragt, has recently been contributing to an important analysis of the economic impact of Western Australia’s agricultural sector. The outcomes are summarised in a revealing new report, Beyond the Paddock, which explains that WA’s agriculture, forestry and fishing value chains generated $44.2 billion for the state economy in 2023–24.
The report was developed in collaboration with the Newdegate Machinery Field Days, UWA’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the Grower Group Alliance, and Planfarm, and was launched at the 2026 Newdegate Machinery Field Days in September, 2026.
Looking beyond the farm gate
Agriculture’s contribution to the economy is often measured by the value of what is produced on farms. But Beyond the Paddock looks further, examining the much broader network of businesses and activities that support agricultural production.
The report explains that WA’s agriculture, forestry and fishing value chains generated $44.2 billion in 2023–24 and supported close to 194,000 jobs. Around a quarter of this value comes from primary production, with the remainder generated beyond the farm gate through activities such as handling, transport, processing, trade, services and distribution.
The WA grains supply chain alone generates more than $5.9 billion for the state economy on a five-year average, supporting businesses, infrastructure and employment across regional WA and metropolitan Perth.
The report also highlights the scale, productivity and complexity of modern agriculture.
WA is a major producer and exporter of grains, sheep meat and livestock, with agricultural products reaching more than 120 international markets.
Behind these exports is a sophisticated network of farmers, agronomists, input suppliers, machinery businesses, financial services, transport operators, processors, exporters and many others.
The report also explores some of the challenges facing the sector, including seasonal variability, rising input costs, trade conditions, infrastructure constraints, biosecurity and climate change. Despite these risks, WA farmers continue to improve productivity, with Wheatbelt wheat yields increasing by around 40% when comparing the 2006–2015 and 2016–2025 ten-year averages.
A key aim of Beyond the Paddock is to make the contribution of agriculture more visible and meaningful to a broader audience. As the report highlights, agriculture’s influence extends well beyond the paddock, supporting regional communities, metropolitan businesses, infrastructure, employment and international trade.
“It has been a pleasure working with the Newdegate Machinery Field Days on producing this report, which we hope will spark conversations about the important role of agriculture in the broader WA economy,” said Professor Marit Kragt.
Join the conversation. Download the report now:
If your organisation is interested in understanding the broader economic value and impacts of an agricultural-based industry or project, get in touch with the CAVE team.
For more information:
Prof. Marit Kragt: marit.kragt@uwa.edu.au
Report webpage: https://www.newdegatemachineryfielddays.com/beyond-the-paddock
Comments