Agriculture industry

Businesses in the agricultural sector range from small specialist producers and growers to large scale production of crops and livestock.

The agriculture industry includes:

• growers – turf, flowers, vegetables, fruit, nuts, grain and other crops
• growers using indoor or covered growing techniques and technology
• farmers – sheep, cattle, poultry, deer and other livestock
• nurseries

Find the latest information about COVID-19 support in your state or territory.

• ACT Government COVID-19 Business and work
• NSW COVID Safe businesses Agriculture
• NT Government COVID-19 coronavirus Business
• QLD Government Approved COVID Safe Industry Plans
• SA Health Information for business and industry - COVID-19
• SA Government Create a COVID-Safe Plan
• Tas Government COVID-19 Safe Workplaces Framework
• Business Victoria COVID Safe business Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector guidance
• WA Government COVID-19 coronavirus: Business and industry recovery

It’s important that you’re aware of the laws that apply to the agriculture industry.

State, territory and local governments manage the licences and permits for the agriculture industry.

The licences and permits you may need include:

• water usage
• clearing vegetation
• disposal of waste
• fire management and safety
• handling livestock and animals
• erecting fencing, property or other structures
• handling, storage and use of chemicals or dangerous substances

The agriculture industry has specific Goods and services tax (GST) measures. Know your GST obligations and register with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to ensure you can claim your GST credits.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment provides additional information about tax offsets, deductions and concessions.

If you employ staff , you need to comply with Australia’s national workplace laws specific to the agriculture industry.

Grants for the agriculture industry are available to support businesses that:

• conduct activities that are innovative
• conduct research and development activities
• need additional assistance due to exceptional circumstances
• engage in sustainable farming, carbon farming or other environmental practices

Specific grants and assistance programs for agriculture businesses include:

• Regional Investment Corporation – provides farm business concessional loans to Australian farm business experiencing financial difficulty.
• Rural Financial Counselling Service  – provides free financial counselling to eligible rural businesses experiencing financial hardship.
• Farm Management Deposits Scheme – helps farmers deal with uneven income due to common risks such as natural disasters, climate and market changes.

Levies and charges are generally used to fund activities that benefit the industry or region as a whole, such as:

• research and development
• marketing and promotion
• plant and animal health programs
• residue testing

Visit the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment website to find out more about levies and whether they apply to your agriculture business.

All business have general occupational health and safety regulations, but the agriculture industry also has state-specific WHS requirements, including.

• workplace noise management
• standards for protective clothing and equipment
• standards for occupational safety signage
• manual handling safety standards
• quad bike safety practices
• electrical safety practices
• hay bale safety practices
• animal handling safety practices
• biosecurity measures

There are Intellectual Property (IP) rights that might be relevant to agriculture businesses such as:

• To protect your inventions - new machinery, new systems or new processes where you may need to get a patent.
• Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBR) will protect new plant varieties and grant you, the plant breeder, exclusive rights to use, sell and distribute the plant and receive royalties.