'Optimistic' agriculture industry meets at Towards 2030 Forum in Tamworth to talk about $100 billion 2030 roadmap

That's according to National Farmers' Federation President Fiona Simson, who visited the Tamworth region to attend the Towards 2030 Forum in Tamworth.

The farmers' union gave locals an update on progress on its 2018 "roadmap" to grow the industry to $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030, $30 billion of it in NSW alone.

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"At the moment look, we're really speeding ahead on the freeway," she said.

"So yes, there are some potholes and some speed bumps but you know, we started in [2018], with about $60 billion of farm gate revenue. And now we're, I think, forecasting $85 [billion] this year. So that's a more than $20 billion uplift."

The NFF president, who is in her sixth year in the job, joined the new president of the state NSW Farmers' organisation, Xavier Martin at the forum.

Billed as an opportunity for local Tamworth farmers and others interested in agriculture to provide direct input into the NFF's policy agenda, about 50 people attended the forum.

Ironically, both agricultural leaders didn't have to go far to attend the forum. They live a handful of kilometres apart, both being landholders in the Liverpool Plains.

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Mr Martin said it was a great time to be a farmer in the New England North West.

He said "we're always optimistic" but risks were always hovering.

"If you look at it, in theory, global pricing is terrific, but we're not getting access to that in an efficient way across many of our products," he said.

"So we've heard a bit about that this morning too, in terms of supply chain dysfunction. And so getting that global price back to the farm gate is a real challenge.

"And if we're going to play global input prices for our different inputs, we've got to be able to access global output prices, as well."

Ms Simson identified biosecurity risks like foot and mouth disease and Varroa Mite, interest rates, and "digital connectivity" as being "speed bumps" on the way to a world-beating growing and grazing industry.

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She said she was looking to the new federal government to help improve infrastructure for the sector.

"My farm is in the on the Liverpool Plains, a highly productive region, but I need better transport routes. I need better access to rail; I need better options around selling some of my grain; I need better connectivity where I live," she said.

"So, I think planning for a focus for our region, and getting the federal and state government to work together around how they build better infrastructure, how they build better processing facilities, can they actually grow this region particularly, and support the community in their plans for a strong agricultural region?"

Tamworth Mayor Russell Webb, Sheep Producers Australia CEO Bonnie Skinner, AgCAREERSTART Program Manager Kayla Evans, and Telstra's Head of Rural and Regional Affairs Ben Gursansky, also spoke at the forum.

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