WHILE industry advocates bemoan the lack of skilled agricultural professionals, National Australia Bank (NAB) Agribusiness general manager Khan Horne sees "a raft of opportunities" opening across the sector.
"It is well established that there are not enough graduates to fill the available jobs in agriculture," Mr Horne said. However, the latest research shows there are now five jobs to each ag graduate.
Mr Horne said a number of factors were contributing to a boom for agricultural careers, including growth in corporate farming and agricultural student enrolments.
According to the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, enrolments have increased across the board by around 15 per cent.
"Given the skills shortage, the average starting wage for an agricultural graduate is more than that of a veterinarian. It's certainly appealing to school students deciding on a career path and to those already working but who are interested in a career change."
The changing landscape of Australian agriculture is creating career opportunities across the sector, Mr Horne said after the conclusion of the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program in Geelong last week.
NAB Agribusiness has sponsored the Rural Leadership Program for the past 20 years, which to date has produced more than 700 graduates.
"We have also seen strong growth in corporate agriculture, increasing by around 40pc in the five years to 2011," Mr Horne said, noting that larger operations require a range of employees to support the business - from farm managers, agronomists and veterinarians to the full range of business functions including business managers, human resources, finance and communications.
"This in turn will result in an even greater need for agricultural graduates and those with experience in the sector, as well as for graduates who want to work in related areas."
He said the capital required to take on a property could be prohibitive, but a rise on corporate farming offered options without the financial barriers.
"The corporate sector offers the experience and lifestyle, without the high cost of entry or financial risk."
Mr Horne said that farmers across the board are recognising the need to increase their skills, and are relying more on consultants and other specialists in all areas of their business.
Today approximately 29pc of farm managers are women. Further training and tertiary qualifications amongst farmers have increased significantly since the mid-1980s.
In 1986 one in 10 farmers had some form of further education. At the most recent Census in 2011, this had jumped to one in three.
Mr Horne said agriculture in Australia has "an exciting future", with food production needing to increase by an estimated 70pc in coming decades to accommodate increased global population, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
"This challenge will need to be met by innovative and educated minds, and I'm encouraged by the shift we're starting to see and the quality of the leadership being shown across the industry."
