FEATURE grower survey

The 2025 Grower Needs Survey engaged growers across Western Australia’s vegetable-growing regions to better understand their challenges, priorities, and future needs. The results reveal an industry that is highly experienced yet facing modern pressures from labour shortages and rising costs to climate uncertainty and regulatory demands.

Words Chi Nguyen, Regional Development Officer, vegetablesWA

GROWERS remain committed to improving productivity, quality, and sustainability, but need practical, accessible, and locally relevant support. Insights from this study will help VegetablesWA shape its future strategy, focusing on regional delivery, stronger advocacy, bilingual education, and technology adoption suited to Western Australian conditions.

Listening to WA growers

vegetablesWA conducted a Grower Needs Survey between June and August 2025. This initiative, funded by the Agricultural Produce Commission (APC) Vegetable Fee for Service, aimed to identify what growers need most to remain competitive and resilient. The study combined online responses, direct farm visits, and in-depth interviews. All participation was voluntary and confidential. The findings highlight clear areas for strategic industry support and investment to help growers strengthen productivity, resilience, and long-term profitability.

Who our growers are

Western Australia’s vegetable sector is defined by deep experience and cultural diversity.

This cultural diversity represents both a strength and a challenge. Tailored communication and bilingual training remain critical for ensuring all growers, regardless of language background, can access innovation, compliance information, and industry support.

What drives crop choices

When deciding what to grow, Western Australian vegetable growers balance practicality, profitability, and personal experience. The main influences are:

• Climate and growing conditions: 36%

• Profitability and market demand: 68%

• Diversification: 50%

• Personal preferences and expertise: 82%

These results show that while profitability and diversification are key motivators, most growers rely heavily on their own knowledge and environmental intuition.

This highlights the value of providing timely market insights, profitability analysis tools, and data-driven crop planning support to complement growers’ experience and intuition.

Challenges on the ground

Growers face a combination of production, environmental, and regulatory challenges. The survey highlighted:

• Labour and workforce management: ~50%

• Regulatory complexity: 50%

• Water management: 45%

• Pest and disease management: 36%

• Market volatility: 41%

These results show that while workforce and compliance issues remain consistent challenges, growers increasingly need support to navigate red tape and manage risks from climate, water, and market fluctuations.

Simplifying compliance requirements, increasing transparency in market pricing, and supporting efficient labour programs and pest management initiatives will help improve productivity and confidence across the industry.

Where growers sell their produce

Western Australian vegetable growers supply a range of markets. Western Australian vegetable growers supply a range of markets. The survey found:

• Supermarkets and grocery outlets: 68%

• Local farmers’ markets: 14%

• Interstate trade: 14%

• Direct farm or online sales: 10%

• Sales agents or Perth Markets/ Market West: nearly all growers 100%

The dominance of wholesale markets reflects strong, long-term relationships within the supply chain, but it also shows limited diversification. Encouraging more growers to participate in farmers’ markets, direct sales, and digital platforms could open new income streams and strengthen connections between producers and local communities.

Training and skills development

More than half of respondents (52%) plan to undertake training in the coming year. The most in-demand topics include chemical use, forklift operation, quality assurance, business management, agronomy, irrigation, and water management.

Barriers to participation include:

• Time constraints: 67%

• Limited regional access: 57%

• Lack of awareness: 48%

• Insufficient tailoring to local conditions: 33%

These findings highlight the importance of offering regionally delivered, bilingual, and practical programs that fit growers’ schedules and realities.

Growers stay informed through a mix of peer learning and professional networks. Eighty-six per cent prefer to learn from fellow growers, 81% rely on industry communications such as vegetablesWA newsletters and the WA Grower magazine, 67% consult agronomists, and 57% access online resources from government and research institutions. This reinforces vegetablesWA’s vital role in connecting growers to information and each other.

Growers expressed strong interest in practical, production-focused training. The top topics identified were:

• Pest and disease control: 71%

• Water management: 48%

• Protected cropping: 38%

• Soil health: 33%

These priorities align closely with the changing landscape of vegetable production in WA, where water efficiency, sustainable soil management, and climate-resilient protected cropping are increasingly vital. VegetablesWA and its partners are well placed to lead workshops and field demonstrations that deliver tangible learning outcomes in these areas.

Technology, innovation, and investment

Technology adoption is viewed with cautious optimism. While 28% of growers are likely to invest in new tools or systems, 67% remain neutral. The main barriers are:

• High cost: 67%

• Lack of awareness/understanding: 43%

• Limited technical support: 48%

• Uncertainty about ROI: 48%

These findings suggest that growers are interested in innovation but want to see clear, practical benefits before committing financially. vegetablesWA can continue to bridge this gap by coordinating demonstration trials, sharing success stories from early adopters, and advocating for grants or subsidies that reduce the financial risks of new technologies.

Planning for the future

Approaches to long-term business planning vary among growers.

• Diversify crops/products: 43%

• No defined long-term plan: 33%

• Invest in sustainable practices: 24%

• Regularly upgrade equipment/infrastructure: 38%

• Seek financial resources/grants: 24%

These results indicate that while many growers are proactive about diversification and sustainability, some would benefit from support in business planning and financial management. vegetablesWA can play an important role by connecting growers with advisory services, planning tools, and programs that strengthen long-term resilience.

How growers see the future

Western Australian vegetable growers hold a cautious but constructive outlook.

• Concerned about competition/market uncertainty: 38%

• Skeptical about global trends: 24%

• Undecided about industry direction: 29%

Despite these challenges, growers are adaptable and keen to evolve.

When asked how the industry could better support them:

• Financial assistance/grants for technology: 86%

• Stronger advocacy for policies/regulations: 81%

• Networking opportunities: 57%

• Structured knowledge exchange platforms: 43%

• Enhanced R&D: 38%

• Accessible, tailored training: 33%

The message is clear — growers value advocacy, innovation, and collaboration. Strengthening partnerships between growers, researchers, and policymakers will help deliver targeted solutions that address both short-term pressures and long-term sustainability.

What this means for WA’s vegetable sector

The survey paints a picture of an industry that is experienced, resourceful, and community-driven, yet navigating significant structural and environmental challenges. Growers are ready to innovate but need the right support systems in place.

For us, the path forward is clear. We will continue delivering regionally relevant and practical training programs while advocating for grants and incentives that reduce the cost of technology adoption. Building partnerships that advance research and development in water efficiency, pest management, and protected cropping will help address key production gaps.

Expanding peer learning networks and celebrating grower success stories will inspire confidence and encourage adoption. Finally, strong and consistent advocacy will remain essential to ensure that policy settings reflect the realities of growing vegetables in Western Australia.