SA’s Top 10 Ag Towns revealed for 2026
The race to be crowned South Australia’s 2026 Agricultural Town of the Year is heating up, with the Top 10 towns from across the state celebrated for their commitment to farming, community and regional growth.
From oyster-growing coastal communities and Riverland horticultural hubs to grain-producing powerhouses of the Eyre Peninsula and Mid North, South Australia’s Top 10 towns have been revealed for this year’s Agricultural Town of the Year.
The annual Award – an initiative of the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), delivered in partnership with InDaily – celebrates regional communities where agriculture is not only a major industry but a driving force behind economic development, innovation and community life.
More than 90 unique towns were nominated this year, reflecting the diversity and strength of South Australian agriculture.
Agricultural Town of the Year judge Professor Simon Maddocks said the judging panel looks beyond production figures to understand how agriculture shapes the identity and future of a community.
“Agriculture needs to be a strong and consistent theme – not just the history of its role in a region, but in what is being done today, and how it is being leveraged to keep vibrant primary industries generating economic and regional development into the future,” he says.
This year’s Top 10 towns showcase the many ways agriculture underpins regional South Australia.
The Eyre Peninsula has once again demonstrated its agricultural credentials, with three towns – Cowell, Cummins and Kimba – making the top 10.
With the Pacific oyster industry of Cowell, wheat, barley and canola production of Cummins and broadacre farming at Kimba, the towns play an important role in creating a diverse and resilient local economy.
Yorke Peninsula is represented by Coobowie and Moonta Bay, two communities where agriculture remains central despite growing tourism and lifestyle appeal.
Coobowie balances commercial fishing and aquaculture operating alongside cereal cropping and livestock enterprises; while grain and livestock production remain important industries to Moonta Bay.
Four Mid North communities have also earned recognition.
Crystal Brook has long been regarded as one of South Australia’s key grain-growing centres, with wheat, barley, legumes and livestock production.
Nearby Orroroo, nestled in the Southern Flinders Ranges, boasts a rich mixed-farming tradition built on sheep, wool and cereal cropping.
Burra, the self-proclaimed “Merino capital of the world,” is renowned for its high-quality wool and livestock production.
And Stockwell, on the northern edge of the Barossa, highlights the important role viticulture plays in regional South Australia.
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Rounding out the top 10 is Waikerie, a major producer of citrus, wine grapes, almonds and stone fruit that represents the Riverland’s globally significant horticulture sector.
The Top 10 towns will now progress to the next stage of judging, with submissions assessed against criteria including agricultural innovation, community involvement, regional leadership and future-focused development.
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Clare Scriven congratulated the towns vying for this year’s Ag Town of the Year Award.
“This annual competition is a celebration of the country towns that demonstrate resilience, innovation and leadership, recognising rural communities that are vibrant, hard-working and fantastic places to live,” Scriven said.
“It’s exciting to see such a diverse range of towns make the Top 10, including past-winner Kimba in the running to potentially become the first-ever two-time Ag Town of the Year.
“I look forward to seeing which community comes out on top to be named the 2026 Ag Town of the Year Award winner.”
For Maddocks, the next phase of the competition is where the written stories come to life.
“It’s one thing to read a submission that says, ‘We are doing ‘a, b, c’ and we love agriculture’,” he says.
“It’s something else to then go and visit the town, to look at the evidence that substantiates the written story, to feel the vibe and culture by living in the moment with residents and businesses of the town, to talk to people and get a sense of how deeply ingrained their passion and understanding is.”
The judging panel will score each of the written submissions and select three finalist towns for site visits, where community spirit and local engagement often prove just as important as agricultural output.
“I always look forward to the opportunity to get out around the state, visit places where good things are happening, even in the midst of challenges, and giving communities an opportunity to tell us why they think they have got something special going on,” Maddocks says.
“It’s a real privilege to be an Ag Town judge. I get so much personally out of being part of this program.”
View the Top 10 towns and read more about the Agricultural Town of the Year program.
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