Reports

Dr Thomas Lines · August 2026

The Extension Gap

Twenty years of ABARES data on research and extension funding in Australian agriculture

Australia's agricultural R&D funding reached $3.0 billion in 2024-25, up 37% in real terms over twenty years. Public funding for extension and advisory services fell 60% over the same period. This report works through the ABARES data behind both numbers: who pays now, who does the work, and why the layer that carries research onto farms keeps losing ground.