Farming
Agriculture is the main industry in Gilgandra, employing over 600 people. Farming includes;
- Cereals such as wheat, barley, oats, rye and sorghum
- Oil seed crops including canola, safflower, sun flower and linseed
- Legume crops such as chick peas, field peas, faba beans, cow peas and lab lab
- Small mixed farming including olive groves, native flower production and others.
Sheep have been grazed for wool production since 1830 and there is a significant number of cattle.
As well as the traditional, there are a number of unique farming enterprises within the Gilgandra Shire. There is a native eucalypt plantation supplying flowers to the cut flower markets and lavender, emu, buffalo, silver perch and poultry farms operating in the district. Recently agriculture has joined with tourism to create a unique tour offering people a hands on farming experience. Gilgandra Shire Council is a progressive Council and offers support to a wide variety of developments and new enterprises.
There are a number of services that support the agricultural industry including rural traders, machinery dealers, the Gilgandra Marketing Co-op, Graincorp and Financial Advisory Services. Farming is the basis for Gilgandra’s economy and the town has a proud history as an agricultural service centre.
Visit the following sites for further agricultural information:
National Farmers Federation
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
The Farmshed
Aginfo World Wide Meat Sites
Graincorp
The Land