Elders (ASX:ELD) Chief Executive Mark Allison cautioned that there was growing risk of "multi‑speed" productivity in Australia's agriculture industry where top, large-scale farming operations perform well, but the average for the sector drops, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Speaking at evokeAG 2026, Allison noted that agriculture, forestry, and fisheries saw a 7.3% increase in multi-factor productivity between the financial years 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024, the strongest result of any major sector.

However, Australia was behind key competitors such as the US and Canada, in agriculture sector productivity.

Elders identified four key drivers for agricultural productivity over the next decade, including digital transformation, climate adaptation, sustainability as productivity, as well as people and capability.

The company's shares shed about 1% in recent Tuesday trade.