About the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry
About these reports
These reports provide a point in time, data-driven overview of the workforce and skills for each industry.
The report does not provide a complete view of workforce dynamics within the industry. Its purpose is to support ongoing efforts to address workforce and skilling demands and to identify opportunities within the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry.
Report coverage
This report focuses on the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry and the occupations relevant to the industry, categorised using the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) classification of industries (ANZSIC) and occupations (ANZSCO).
Coverage in this report is limited to employment in the industry and sectors as defined by the ABS, noting some occupations are almost exclusively associated with an industry, such as surgeons in the health services sector, while others, such as accountants, are associated with many industries.
Furthermore, industry classifications rarely encompass the full nature of the work (and therefore skills) associated with a given industry. Therefore, ABS definitions of industries or sectors may not align with the definitions used by an industry association.
Key sectors of the industry
The agriculture, forestry and fishing industry is responsible for the cultivation of crops and livestock, sustainable forest management and harvesting of wild and aquatic resources.
The key sectors within the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry are:
- Agriculture – includes broadacre farming for crops such as wheat, barley and canola; livestock production including sheep, beef cattle, dairy, poultry and pigs; and horticulture like fruit, nuts, vegetables and nursery production
- Aquaculture – includes the farming of fish, shellfish and other aquatic species in controlled environments such as ponds, tanks or sea pens
- Forestry and logging – includes the growing and harvesting of plantation and native forests, production of logs and woodchips, and sustainable forest management practices
- Fishing, hunting and trapping – includes commercial and recreational fishing, crustacean and mollusc harvesting, and controlled trapping of wild animals
- Support services – includes services such as contract mustering, shearing, crop spraying, cotton ginning, forest planting, pest control and irrigation support.
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