SETTING lofty targets or goals can help you stay focused, and makes it easier to identify and quantify improvements made.
This week, SA's food, wine and agribusiness sector was set an ambitious goal of its own - to lift revenue to $23 billion by 2030.
Given primary industries and agribusiness revenue was $15.2b in 2018-19, that gives us 10 years to achieve revenue growth of 60 per cent.
The Food, Wine and Agribusiness Plan for Growth is part of the SA government's Growth State agenda, and many other sectors - such as mining, defence and tourism - have been or will set targets of their own.
The Food, Wine and Agribusiness Plan for Growth is an impressive document that highlights the incredible diversity of our agricultural sector, and shines a light on the many initiatives already under way that could help boost sector revenue. But, I felt less inspired when reading the list of areas identified for potential future growth.
Related reading: $23b food, wine and agribusiness plan launched
Across the plan's six 'priorities to support growth' - growing productivity, people, infrastructure, markets, sustainability and the operating environment - there were 31 current initiatives listed, but just nine future growth opportunities identified.
No future opportunities were listed under the Growing the Operating Environment priority, which aims to "deliver smart regulation" and "minimise business costs and administrative burdens".
The Grow Infrastructure section did at least have one future opportunity listed, although I'm not sure the cattle sector will be satisfied with seemingly having its future growth reliant on the sealing of the Strzelecki Track increasing the supply of Qld cattle coming into SA.
The other 'action area' that caught my eye was under the Grow Productivity priority - seeking to "enhance research, development, technology and innovation". Perhaps a boost to PIRSA and SARDI's budget could be a good starting point to achieve this goal.
The Steering Committee has a crucial role to play in turning a visually impressive document into a detailed plan of attack, and then into real results.
SA has long needed a government to recognise ag's economic contribution and growth potential. But to meet the lofty target, we will need bold action and increased investment, not ambiguous promises of support and encouragement that don't directly lead to positive outcomes.
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Jacinta Rose
Editor of the Stock Journal - South Australia's agricultural masthead
Editor of the Stock Journal - South Australia's agricultural masthead
