AUSVEG Industry Sentiment Survey January 2026 |
Introduction
As we head into 2026 there are clear signs this will be another challenging year for growers in the Australian vegetable industry.
AUSVEG’s last Industry Sentiment Survey in mid-2025 found that two in five vegetable growers are actively considering leaving the industry within the next year due to difficult business and operating conditions, and that a further two in five would follow suit if they had a viable exit strategy.
This represented a significant increase on the previous average of one in three, recorded across AUSVEG’s six-monthly surveys of growers since 2023.
A lack of operating profit for capital improvement, expansion and innovation; compliance burden; input cost increases; poor retail pricing; labour and skills shortages; and increased labour costs, continued to be identified as among growers’ biggest challenges, with worsening sentiment indicating these pressures have become more pronounced.
These challenges contributed to declining profitability across the industry, with 62 percent of surveyed growers in July indicating they were financially worse off compared to 12 months ago, and 53 percent expecting to be worse off this year.
Since the July survey AUSVEG has released the Horticulture compliance and regulation – reducing the burden by 2030 report which provides an evidence-based summary of the cost of compliance, and also recommendations on how to reduce that burden.
This initiative was born from feedback received by growers through these regular Industry Sentiment Surveys, and continues to form a bedrock of AUSVEG’s concerted advocacy efforts to Government and other key stakeholders to address and alleviate the key issues, challenges and concerns that are threatening vegetable grower viability.
Findings and insights from these survey also continue to inform AUSVEG advocacy priorities, and continue to be widely referenced by the Government, industry leaders, and media.
In addition to the compliance and regulation report, data from the survey has been utilised within the Plus One Serve initiative to boost vegetable consumption, and within a multitude of AUSVEG submissions and representations to Government on key issues including – the minimum wage review, the PALM scheme, food security and productivity, among many others.
To ensure AUSVEG’s continuing advocacy on behalf of growers is as relevant and effective as possible – and that key concerns can continue to be raised with decision makers and industry stakeholders – it is vital to ensure views and feedback from as many growers as possible are captured in this Industry Sentiment Survey.
Your participation is critical.
This survey covers the following topics:
· Workforce Shortages
· Future Outlook
· Post Farm Gate Supply Chain
- Horticultural Levies
· Energy Costs and Infrastructure
· Margin Squeeze
· Productivity
ALL RESPONSES ARE ANONYMOUS AND CONFIDENTIAL
There are 33 questions, with the ability to skip those questions not relevant to your business. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes.