Pricey or priceless: How state farming membership bills compare

Against a backdrop of turmoil in farm advocacy as membership dollars become harder to come by, some experienced farm lobby leaders say there is a real risk some bodies will collapse.

SFOs appear to have stronger foundations than peak industry councils, with many producers saying their priority is with state-based lobbying.

However, SFO bosses and presidents regularly raise the challenge of ongoing funding versus an increasingly sophisticated job which today takes in strategies on everything from sustainability and carbon to far greater biosecurity threats, full cost recovery of government regulation and even a government shutting down an entire trade.

"At the same time we are dealing with many more battlefronts, more and more producers - especially the big corporates - are sitting back and hoping others will pay their way," one chief executive officer said.

Indeed, a quick verbal poll of any saleyard returns the verdict that plenty of people think there is too much duplication, too many CEOs, too many in leadership roles for their own benefit and too little value-for-money in farm advocacy today.

VICTORIA: The Victorian Farmers Federation, which has just thrown a cat amongst the pigeons by quitting seven commodity groups citing the need to save funds, is one of the most transparent.

It offers a platinum package for $1495, gold for $895, silver for $695 and bronze - targetted at associates and supporters of agriculture - for $395.

On top of advocacy, all bar bronze include voting rights, the ability to nominate one additional voting member, input into VFF policy development plus access to communications and programs.

Differences thereafter for higher-priced packages include workplace relations advice.

The main difference between platinum and gold is in the events offering where platinum delivers more exclusive access to a number of forums and events.

VFF overhauled its membership late last year.

Prior to that, it had more than 30 different packages all at different price points. It says the new model offers a flat-fee tiered system, so it's much simpler for members to know what they will pay.

NSW: NSW Farmers is also very transparent, across both what it charges and what it achieves.

It offers a full producer package for $548 per annum for farm owners, lessors, lessees and managers. The small package, at $247.50, is for hobby farms and rural professionals. There is an associate and retired membership for $100 per year and a rather innovative country connection for $100 for conscious consumers wanting to support farmers.

Some membership categories increased for the first time in a decade on April 1 this year - full producer went up $100 for example.

Voting entitlements are only for full members. They also get Rural Wage Guides tailored for each commodity. A Workplace Relations team is an additional service only available to full producers for an additional fee of $150.

All memberships get advocacy, communications and industry news, with varying access to events, industry and policy access and regional services across the different packages.

Benefits and discounts from partner business, including fleet pricing, is extensive. Last year there was an average saving of $421 for Bunnings PowerPass users, $525 saved with Mobil's fuel discount and up to $24,686 saved for members who bought new Isuzu trucks.

The NSW Farmers team also hosted more than 200 workshops last year, across rural crime, carbon, empowering women in farming and storm and flood recovery.

It lists it's top three advocacy wins as securing the first NSW Biosecurity Commissioner and commitment for an independent and legislated ag commissioner; improved supermarket transparency and competition reform and keeping feral animal management on the state political agenda.

QUEENSLAND: Agforce offers a full member package for all primary producers of cattle, grains, sheep, wool and cane; a free joint membership for anyone already represented by a full member like a spouse or employee and a support membership for people who do not derive income from the commodities represented.

It was not willing to list fees or provide details on package inclusions, saying membership services and fees vary depending on gross value of production calculated on a five-year rolling average of combined income from these commodities.

ACM Agri spoke to several AgForce members and confirm that a mixed beef and sheep family-run operation on 4500ha is currently paying $1221 annually.

Agforce lists as its benefits advocacy, having issues with NBN and Telstra prioritised for resolution, discounted services like property mapping and training courses and plenty more savings from corporate sponsors, free industrial relations advice, industry news and networking.

It appears to be one of the most popular SFOs, with anecdotal evidence suggesting a high percentage of producers are long-time Agforce members, particularly across livestock with Queensland being the country's largest cattle-producing state.

A number of those producers told ACM Agri state-based lobbying is important to them. Indeed, some felt joining national peak bodies was a conflict of interest.

NORTHERN TERRITORY: NT Farmers charges $396 per year for the one membership type, which provides access to agricultural expertise and support, representation at a local and national level, support and advice relating to workforce issues, invitations to industry field days, discounts on conferences and roadshows and, of course, voting rights to appoint the board.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: This state is an unusual kettle of fish. Six commodity groups across grains, livestock, dairy, forestry, horticulture and wine feed into the umbrella group Primary Producers SA.

Under the Primary Industry Funding Schemes Act, funds are compulsorily acquired from producers at the point of sale of a commodity. But they remain voluntarily contributed - producers can opt out and be refunded at the end of the year. Very few take that option.

PPSA chief executive officer Caroline Rhodes described it as a unique model and the envy of most other commodity and SFO groups.

The SA system largely removes the 'free rider' challenge.

And the wider pool of income means advocacy is better funded. Farmers say it is also more specialised, given the individual commodity group set-up.

As a result, it could be argued that the value-for-money in SA trumps everywhere else. For example, one larger grain and livestock producer said he effectively paid $280 per annum for what he considered to be a better service than other SFO members received.

Grain Producers SA chair John Gladigau last year listed the following as key industry-shaping lobbying work: the removal of the GM moratorium, protecting the rights of grain producers under the Mining Act, Lens Snail incursion response when others failed to act, the new hydrogen and renewables legislation which impacts on right-to-farm and the new biosecurity act currently before SA Parliament.

The downside is the risk of complacency in advocacy creeping in and some producers say lobbying in SA tends to be more conservative.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: WA Farmers offers a small producers package for $810 a year, medium for $1,335, large for $2,700 and retired for $410.

Packages are based on annual turnover. Small is less than $1m, medium $1m to $2.5m and large over $2.5m.

There is also an allied business membership, with basic $350 per annum, medium $600 and large $990.

TASMANIA: The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, or TasFarmers, offers a standard membership starting at $1200 payable by subscription or levy.

Chief executive officer Nathan Calman said members highly valued the organisation's industry news and information, role in advocating and providing unity.

He said membership growth had been positive over the past two years.

Recent wins include opposing the fire levy bill and securing financial assistance for farmers to assist with the compulsory EID rollout, launching the Farm Access Code of Conduct in partnership with the VFF which went on to be adopted nationally by many farming bodies and developing better standards for animal welfare and livestock processing.