South Australian farmers are growing in confidence and productivity, according to a new survey.

The Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey shows farmers’ confidence has lifted for the fourth consecutive quarter to reach its highest level since early 2011.

The survey showed beef and sheep graziers were particularly upbeat due to high prices. Continuing high confidence among grain growers depended on timely rainfall.

The survey, completed last month, found 90 per cent of local farmers expected agricultural economic conditions to improve or remain similar to last year.

Of those, 40 per cent expected conditions to improve (up from 30 per cent) and 50 per cent expected conditions to remain stable (down from 63 per cent).

Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported productivity increases over the past five years due to factors including investment, better genetics and improved access to global markets.

Rabobank’s SA state manager James Robinson said timely rain was needed to realise the potential of this year’s crop.

“Generally speaking, crops are in good nick for this time of year but we don’t have the security of good subsoil moisture like we did last year, which makes follow-up rainfall even more critical,” Robinson said.

“The strengthening El Nino weather pattern is being watched carefully, but, that said it doesn’t seem to have as big an impact here as it does in the eastern states.”

He said the results highlighted the need to reverse the fall in government R&D spending to ensure new technology and genetics can provide future productivity growth.