Agriculture Business Ideas You Can Start in Australia
111 ideas
This page collects 114 agriculture business ideas, from low-cost side projects to full-time farm operations. Some need very little land, like a backyard plant nursery or a polytunnel for seedlings and herbs.
Small-acreage lamb or beef, sold direct
Raise a small mob of sheep or cattle on your own or leased land and sell meat boxes direct to local customers.
- A$5k-25k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Fatten cattle or sheep on agisted or leased grazing
Rent grazing land, buy young stock, grow them out and sell to saleyards or processors.
- A$15k-70k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Hay and bedding delivery service
Buy hay and bedding from growers and deliver it to horse owners, smallholders and small farms.
- A$2k-10k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Rural hay and bedding yard
Hold hay, straw and bedding in a shed and sell to walk-in customers and regular delivery clients.
- A$10k-50k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Paddock-only horse agistment
Rent out spare paddocks to horse owners who look after their own animals each day.
- A$1k-6k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Full-care horse agistment property
Offer paddocks plus daily feeding, rugging and health checks for horse owners who are short on time.
- A$5k-25k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Christmas tree farm (cut-your-own)
Grow Christmas trees on a rural block and sell them fresh to families each December.
- A$5k-30k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Grow-on trees for landscapers
Grow native and ornamental trees to a good size and sell them to landscapers, councils and builders.
- A$3k-15k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Small free-range pig farm selling pork boxes
Raise a small number of pigs outdoors and sell the pork directly to local households and restaurants.
- A$8k-30k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Small breeding herd selling weaners and breeders
Keep a few breeding sows and a boar, and sell weaners and breeding pigs to small farms and lifestylers.
- A$6k-25k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Weekend pick-your-own pumpkin patch
Grow pumpkins on a small block and open on autumn weekends for families to pick their own.
- A$3k-15k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Pumpkin patch farm day out with café stall
Run a bigger autumn pumpkin patch with kids' activities, school visits and a food and drink stall.
- A$15k-60k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Mobile farrier: shoeing at the stable or paddock
Travel to horse owners and fit custom-shaped horseshoes on a regular shoeing cycle.
- A$5k-25k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Horseshoe maker: hand-forged shoes from your forge
Forge custom and remedial horseshoes in a small workshop for owners and other farriers.
- A$4k-20k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Mobile milking machine service tech
Service and repair milking plants on dairy farms and supply the parts you fit, from your ute or van.
- A$15k-60k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Dairy parts and consumables supplier
Stock and deliver milking liners, filters, hoses and fittings to dairy farms from a small shed or unit.
- A$10k-50k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Free-range egg farm on rural land
Run a larger free-range laying flock and sell eggs through markets, shops and cafes.
- A$200k-800k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small-block beef cattle, part-time
Buy weaner steers, grow them on a small block or agisted paddocks, and sell them on to dealers, farmers or an abattoir.
- A$10k-50k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Beef breeding herd, full-time
Run breeding cows on leased or owned land and sell weaners or breeding stock to feedlots, dealers and other farmers.
- A$80k-400k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Boutique horse breeding for foal sales
Breed a few quality mares on your own or leased land and sell the foals or young horses.
- A$15k-70k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Stallion at stud service
Stand a stallion at stud and charge mare owners a fee for breeding to him.
- A$10k-50k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Firewood supplier with local delivery
Buy timber, split and season it on your property, then sell and deliver by the ute load to local homes.
- A$3k-15k
- Side hustle
- From home
Bagged firewood and kindling supplier
Pack dry firewood and kindling into bags and sell to servos, hardware shops and campgrounds.
- A$2k-10k
- Side hustle
- From home
Local animal feed and supplies shop
Sell feed, bedding and supplies to farmers, horse owners and pet owners from a small shopfront or shed.
- A$25k-100k
- Full-time
- Own premises
About these ideas
Others suit people who want to work with animals or sell to the public, such as a goat or sheep milk creamery on a small farm or a bee removal service. If you would rather avoid the paddock, an online tractor and farm machinery parts shop keeps you in the industry without the land. Before choosing, think about how much space and water you can access, how much time you can commit through the seasons, and who will actually buy what you produce. Check local council zoning and any licences early, because they often shape what is realistic.
More ideas
- Feed and hay delivery round
- Mobile farm inputs supplier
- Small rural supply store
- Mobile farrier service
- Barefoot hoof trimming on the side
- Small flock of sheep for lamb and wool
- Paddock-to-plate meat boxes
- Small market garden selling direct
- Small free-range egg flock
- Bee swarm collection call-outs
- Bee removal from walls and roofs
- Local farm produce supplier to cafes and restaurants
- Online farm produce ordering for local food businesses
- Online farm parts and tools supplier
- Mobile farm supplies and parts delivery
- Rural farm equipment shop and yard
- Boutique horse breeding on your own acreage
- Small stud with stallion services
- Backyard polytunnel for seedlings and herbs
- Small commercial greenhouse grower
- Small wholesale nursery on your own block
- Full-time wholesale nursery with shadehouses
- Small-flock fresh egg supplier
- Free-range egg supplier to local shops and cafes
- Small-scale honey producer
- Honey and wax producer with shop supply
- Contract spraying for farms and landowners
- Slashing and paddock maintenance for rural blocks
- Weekend pick-your-own berry or veggie patch
- Full-time pick-your-own farm with farm shop
- Small pond farm for yabbies or freshwater fish
- Small market garden growing vegetables
- Pasture-raised eggs from a small flock
- Part-time livestock trader (small lots)
- Full-time livestock dealer with own transport
- Local irrigation supplies shop
- Online irrigation supplies store
- Paddock agistment for horse owners
- Full-care livery stable
- Small oyster grower selling direct to venues
- Goat or sheep milk creamery on a small farm
- Small-block vegetable and field crop grower
- Grain cropping on leased or share-farmed land
- Contract sheep shearer
- Backyard orchid grower selling at markets and online
- Wholesale orchid nursery for florists and garden centres
- Vegetable supply run for cafes and restaurants
- Vegetable wholesale unit with cool room
- Small-boat prawn fisher
- Small orchard selling at markets and shops
- Pick-your-own and farm gate orchard
- Backyard plant nursery
- Tubestock nursery for landscapers
- Paddock agistment for horses
- Full-care horse boarding stables
- Online hydroponics supply store
- Local mulch and bark delivery service
- Small landscape supply yard
- Tree planting and plantation care contractor
- Tree felling and thinning contractor
- Organic market garden
- Organic veggie box subscription
- Small vineyard growing grapes for wineries
- Boutique vineyard with your own wine label
- Greenhouse orchid grower supplying florists and retailers
- Farm gate roadside stall
- Farm shop on your property
- Small-load topsoil delivery by ute and trailer
- Bulk topsoil delivery by tipper truck
- Topsoil and landscape supply yard
- Small-plot veg grower for farmers markets
- Market garden supplying chefs and local shops
- Pick-your-own Christmas tree farm
- Small-block Christmas tree grower
- Tank-based fish farm in a shed
- Online tractor and farm machinery parts shop
- Rural tractor and machinery parts counter
- Turf delivery and resale
- Small turf farm
- Mobile farm machinery repairer
- Farm machinery repair workshop
- Home-based fertiliser agent
- Local fertiliser and soil supply yard
- Small-acreage sheep or goat breeder
- Registered stud breeder selling breeding stock
- Online seed shop for home gardeners
- Pasture and crop seed supplier for farms
Questions
Do I need my own land to start an agriculture business in Australia?
Not always. Ideas such as online hydroponics supply, farm parts retail, mobile services or a backyard nursery need little or no farmland. If you do want to produce, check whether you would own, lease or share land, and what your council allows.
What licences or approvals should I check before starting?
It depends on what you do. Food production, animal products, pest control, selling plants and using chemicals can each have rules. Check with your local council, your state or territory agriculture or primary industries department, and food safety authorities before you spend money.
How can I test an agriculture idea before committing fully?
Start small and keep your income. Try a small batch of seedlings, a few hives or part-time hoof trimming and see whether customers pay. Track your costs, seasonal gaps and time spent, then decide whether to scale up or change direction.