TasFarmers Matters- Rising cost of pest pressure

Pest pressure is increasing across agricultural land, and the tools to manage it are not keeping pace or aligning with on-farm realities. 

For producers, pest control is not abstract; it is a daily challenge that affects their bottom line. When pest pressure increases and control becomes more costly, the impacts are felt immediately by those on the ground.

A recent survey of farmers provides a timely snapshot of how pest management is working in practice. 

While response numbers differed between survey years, the trend is unmistakable. The average annual combined cost of control and lost production increased from $41,300 per landholder in 2020 to $58,700 in 2025 a rise of 42 per cent in just five years. 

This increase is not driven by a single factor but rather a combination of growing pest pressure, higher values of lost production and increasing costs associated with control measures.

Perhaps most concerning is the consistency in the underlying trend. 

The most recent survey shows that every problem species identified in 2020 has worsened and or spread further across the state. 

None of the pest issues raised five years ago have improved, suggesting that while farmers continue to invest time and money into management, the broader effort is struggling to keep pace with the scale and spread of the problem. 

Taken together, the results send a clear message that farmers are actively working to manage pests, but many feel there should be more tangible assistance from State and Federal Governments.

What emerges from the survey is a desire for management systems that are workable, responsive and informed by on-ground experience. 

Farmers are clear that current approaches are not delivering effective outcomes and while they remain committed to managing pests, the growing costs indicate that current approaches may be reaching their limits. 

Rising input costs, regulatory complexity and expanding pest ranges are creating greater pressure on businesses to absorb losses that are increasingly difficult to contain.

If pest management is to improve, these insights cannot be ignored. Government, land managers and industry all have a role to play in ensuring frameworks are practical, coordinated and fit for purpose. 

Listening to farmers is a logical place to start, and the result of this survey provides a clear, evidence-based foundation for doing so.