NFF increasing Indigenous Australia's role in agriculture report.

The National Farmers' Federation launched its The Realising the Opportunity report in Darwin on Thursday, which found the industry could make several small changes to involve more Indigenous Australians.

The report, authored by KPMG, flagged the need to build better bridges between traditional and contemporary agriculture to strengthen Indigenous engagement in the industry.

Indigenous Australians make up 1pc agriculture workforce and First Nations' agribusiness are worth an estimated $85.4 million.

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The Australia's Indigenous Estate was reported to cover 438 million hectares and around 10pc of the estate highly suitable for agricultural development across Australia's northern coastline, the east coast and south-west of Western Australia.

The study identifies there are at least 95 Indigenous primary production businesses operating on 8.1m ha - which represents 2pc of the nation's agricultural estate - spanning a mix of agricultural sub-industries including beef, sheep, aquaculture, fisheries and horticulture.

NFF Indigenous engagement working group chair Natalie Sommerville, a South Australian farmer and Wagadagam women, said for millennia Indigenous Australians had sustainably managed and shaped landscapes for the production of food.

"For Indigenous peoples these practices, products, skills and knowledge form an incredibly rich tradition of significant ongoing cultural importance, and also of future economic potential," Ms Sommerville said.

"Amplifying these valuable contributions from Indigenous individuals and organisations and collaborating is an enormous opportunity for both Indigenous peoples and our agricultural sector today."

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The report made several recommendations including building cultural awareness across the industry to attract and retain an Indigenous workforce, endorse joint ventures that balance traditional and modern agriculture and unlock culturally-appropriate access to capital for Indigenous businesses.

It also found there were opportunities to better promotion of Indigenous agribusiness and agricultural products, including within the natives food industry.

NFF acting president David Jochinke said Indigenous Australians could play a key role in agriculture's goal to a $100-billion industry.

"There is a very real and direct connection between reaching growth ambitions, the economic empowerment of Indigenous peoples, and Closing the Gap across the full range of social outcomes," Mr Jochinke said.

"To unlock that potential, we need to do better at attracting Indigenous Australians to the industry, and supporting and promoting Indigenous agribusinesses."