The information generated will form part of a broader strategy to establish and monitor baseline data about the economic, environmental and social performance of the industry across Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern regions of WA.

Using situation and comparative analyses, the report aims to highlight differences between the performance parameters of the 'top' versus 'average' producers across the region.

This information will be useful in identifying key issues and potential opportunities through which producers can improve one or more aspects of their performance, MLA's northern production research manager Wayne Hall said.

In assessing these opportunities, however, it was important to prioritise and/or pursue them according to the land, labour, skill and capital resources available, as well as individual business and personal goals and limitations.

"It's important that the focus is not only on the analysis but also on what can be learnt from the report, as well as the information and tools available to help make informed business management decisions," Mr Hall said.

The results contained in the report should not be seen as 'all doom and gloom', but the significant variation in performance within the sample group could be used to provide some important guides to productivity and profitability improvement.

So what could the average northern Australian producer do to improve their profitability? First, producers needed to know how their business was performing across a number of key production and financial benchmarks, Mr Hall said.

"It's impossible to manage it without measuring it first."

It was also vital to remember that each enterprise would be different, and there needed to be acceptance that changes might need to be made across a number of aspects of any given business.