About 100 southern NSW farmers and advisors planned for the future during a business update at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club yesterday.

The current and future state of Australian agriculture and opportunities for growth in the grains industry were the focus of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) event.

Northern Riverina farmer Darryl Harper usually attends the forums, but also presented a paper at this year's event.

"I use these updates to get new ideas for our own business, but I'm also happy to share those ideas with other farmers," Mr Harper said.

"It's a good break from paddock work and farming can be a job where you don't get to actually work with your peers."

Mr Harper spoke about the opportunities and challenges of effective farm management.

"I think one of the main challenges we face in farming is to continually change our farming systems as problems emerge," he said.

"The farming systems we have today have to change so that farming remains profitable."

Mr Harper has been involved in his family farm in the Barmedman district for more than 20 years.

"Certainly in the last 25 years, like most farms in our area, we've become more focused towards grain production than livestock," he said.

John Minogue from GRDC's southern panel said the farm business update provided information on what drives financial productivity of businesses in the farming enterprise in southern NSW.

"There's a lot of work out there that is research that tends to be production for production's sake, but this is all about a profitable return to the grower and having them identify what the key drivers of that profitability are," Mr Minogue said.

Economic and social commentator, strategic planner and author Doctor Keith Suter headlined the event.