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Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Josh Francisco Josh Francisco Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: August 2025 ANZSIC A0529

Revenue

$5.2bn

2025-26

$5.2bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

45,996

Businesses

16,050

Wages

$X.Xbn

Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia industry analysis

The Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia is sensitive to trends across the broader agricultural sector. Currently, the industry is benefiting from a solid recovery in broadacre crop production, with staple crops like corn, barley, rice and wheat now accounting for 35.2% of industry market demand. This resurgence is driving increased demand for a range of support services, like precision agriculture, machinery maintenance and specialised input supply, as farmers adopt more advanced practices in response to improved weather conditions and strong domestic and export markets. Technological adoption and favourable seasonal conditions are underpinning growth in the cropping segment.
However, these gains are being offset by weakness in the livestock segment, which accounts for over 29.0% of industry market demand.  The continued declines in national sheep and cattle numbers and higher turn-off rates limit the demand for key support services like animal health management, contract mustering and reproduction assistance. Even with sustained demand from major export markets like China and Japan, the decrease in herd sizes, due to livestock grown since 2021 reaching maturity and in response to below-average rainfall in certain regions, is holding back overall industry growth. These conflicting trends have culminated in a marginal growth rate of just 0.1% through 2024-25 for modest industry revenue growth to $5.2 billion in 2025-26. This figure also represents an average annual decline of 1.5% over the five years through 2025-26, following the significant rebound from the severe drought experienced in 2019-20.
The future performance of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry will be shaped by labour shortages driven by an ageing regional workforce, which are expected to constrain expansion, profitability and heighten wage pressures over the next five years. Industry performance will also closely track trends in agricultural output, water availability and strong export demand, particularly from growing Asian markets. Continued government support through investment and reforms, alongside the uptake of new technologies like robotics, data analytics and traceability systems, will help drive efficiency. Despite innovations, strong export performance and increased demand for compliance and advisory services, workforce challenges will continue to exert pressure, resulting in an annual decline of 0.9% through 2030-31, reaching $4.9 billion.

Trends and Insights

  • Broadacre cropping recovery is boosting demand for support services, driving industry activity. As crop production rebounds in 2025-26, farms are increasingly relying on fertiliser application, machinery maintenance and precision agriculture, giving industry service providers an opportunity to expand capacity.
  • Strong planting intentions and favourable market conditions are boosting demand for cropping services. Increased water availability and global prices for crops have led to growth in services like fertiliser application. Nonetheless, segment revenue remains volatile due to changing crop conditions.
  • Industry business distribution mirrors agricultural activity, with a strong focus on the eastern seaboard. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland host nearly 80% of industry establishments, due to their diverse agricultural production and dense demand for support services.
  • Industry fragmentation and small business eminence shape competition and growth. Most businesses are owner-operators, with limited expansion due to agricultural volatility, high start-up costs and low merger activity, reinforcing strong competition and making it difficult for any firm to dominate.
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How you can access insights on the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia industry

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Competitors

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 1.5 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $5.2bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Broadacre crops’ performance has recovered from a dip in 2024-25

  • Cropping makes up over 35.0% of industry market demand and is a major driver of industry activity.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Profit margins will be challenged by the scarcity of young regional workers

  • An ageing regional workforce is constraining industry labour supply. With a lower supply of young workers, Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services companies will struggle to expand their operations during upsurges of agricultural production. Rising labour costs will squeeze profit margins and limit industry revenue growth to below 1%.

Biggest companies in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue
2026

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia industry.

Products & Services Segmentation

Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Cropping services, Livestock services and Shearing and crutching services. Cropping services is the largest segment of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Strong planting intentions has pushed cropping services upwards

  • Cropping services include harvesting, spreading and spraying services for grains and other crops. Fruit and vegetable picking are also a part of this segment.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Industry businesses primarily provide services to the agriculture sector, including aerial agricultural services, shearing, crutching, pest control, irrigation services, contract crop harvesting and animal testing. The industry excludes agistment services.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia include Cropping services, Marketing and handling services, Livestock services, Irrigation services, Shearing and crutching services, Pest control services, Seed cleaning and grading services, Fishing support services and Pruning services.

Companies

Companies covered in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia include .

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia include crutching, dipping, mustering and turn-off rate.

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 0522 - Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Broadacre cropping recovery is boosting demand for support services, driving industry activity. As crop production rebounds in 2025-26, farms are increasingly relying on fert...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Strong planting intentions and favourable market conditions are boosting demand for cropping services. Increased water availability and global prices for crops have led to gr...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Industry business distribution mirrors agricultural activity, with a strong focus on the eastern seaboard. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland host nearly 80% of industr...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Industry fragmentation and small business eminence shape competition and growth. Most businesses are owner-operators, with limited expansion due to agricultural volatility, h...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services in Australia industry.

Analyst insights

The Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry has no major companies. The industry is highly fragmented because of its diversity and due to the yearly vol...

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Industry demand is closely linked to agricultural output, water supply and input prices. Higher production and accessible water boost support service demand, while drought or...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Industry costs are influenced by technology adoption, labour shortages and input price fluctuations. While steady uptake of automation keeps depreciation stable, wage and uti...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia in 2025?

The market size of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia is $5.2bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia in 2025?

There are 16,050 businesses in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 2.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia?

The Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia?

The Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 1.5 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia is expected to decline.

What does the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia include?

Cropping services and Marketing and handling services are part of the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia.

How competitive is the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia?

The level of competition is high and steady in the Shearing, Cropping and Agricultural Support Services industry in Australia.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

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