AN industry report has called into question the relevance of the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA).
The report, by independent research company AEC Group, includes interviews with 14 agriculture consultants from the Australian Association of Agricultural Consultants (AAAC) WA about the state of the agriculture industry and the growth, profitability and sustainability of the sector.
Ironically, the survey was commissioned by DAFWA.
"There were mixed views about this (DAFWA's role in the agriculture supply chain)," the report said.
"In some areas a number of consultants did not see a role for DAFWA other than to provide an appropriate and regulatory framework.
"In other areas they felt DAFWA was 'missing in action'."
Those views have been echoed by a number of calls to Farm Weekly from farmers over the last 18 months, specifically discussing DAFWA's role and its activities.
With cuts in budget and staff, DAFWA has largely lost the direct face-to-face contact with farmers.
One consultant quoted in the report said of their 70 clients, just 10 had been in contact with DAFWA in the last 12 months.
The report said there was confusion in the farming community about DAFWA's role.
AAAC chairman Shane Sander agreed and said there was a cross over between where DAFWA sat in regard to other national research bodies.
He said they all needed to come together, but recognised it was probably more of a national issue rather than a State issue.
"It was quite interesting watching two surveys, with different formats and from different places, virtually presenting a reasonable common link of data, even though that wasn't what they were designed to do," Mr Sander said, when talking about the survey by Painted Dog which was presented at the same meeting (see page 8).
"I guess it's a question of how you address research, development and extension at a national level without duplicating it."
One of the AEC Group recommendations was for a clear communication of the policy agenda for the agricultural sector in WA.
It recommended that the AAAC and DAFWA create a council to help deliver that message, but DAFWA director general Rob Delane said offers like that had already been on the table and "it was a two-way street".
Mr Delane said DAFWA and industry were still trying to get an accurate picture of what the industry looked like.
"We don't really know enough about the overall clients base for us, of exactly where people are at in their business, what is the combination of debt, productivity, objectives, age structure, ambitions, profit size," he said.
"These things are really important for the sector, as is collective decision-making for the sector.
"The DAFWA director general and the Minister for Agriculture are important decision makers for the sector, but we are not the only ones.
"My State Budget is less than $150 million and my total budget is less than $250m ... I mean, this year the sector will turn over we hope, six to seven billion dollars.
"Everybody is in this together.
"Even though it is a very difficult time for many, we need to work out together what the strategies are that will help individuals make the best decisions.
"That is not going to be achieved by sniping and focusing on the negative issues or pointing the finger as to who should solve the problems."
DAFWA has about 1300 staff throughout the State and Mr Delane said the department would not shy away from the issues.
"We quite deliberately went to the agriculture consultants who cover about 70 per cent of broadacre production," Mr Delane said.
"We only had 14 participate in it, but nonetheless we have some very clear feedback on what the key issues are and what they think about what some of the opportunities are for DAFWA to improve," he said.
"I am not going to take a negative view about that even though some consultants seem to have a very poor understanding of DAFWA's role and we will take that on as our issue to improve that."
Mr Delane said the AAAC and DAFWA joint roundtable was already an option and would remain on the table if industry accepted it.
"We had made efforts for that to happen in the past for phone hook-ups etc, but that has not been taken up," he said.
"Everything is a two-way street and we will continue to make that offer."
When asked about if he was concerned DAFWA was losing the face-to-face contact with farmers and being seen as missing in action, as the report suggested, Mr Delane said it was "interesting".
"It is no secret, not because of our reduction in staff over the last decade, but we have sought to be complementary to the agribusiness sector," he said.
"By definition that means that ag consultants and alike have got closer to producers than we have.
"So to be criticised for that and for not having a stronger relationship between consultants and DAFWA is interesting."
