About 100 farmers, researchers, politicians and policy makers have gathered in Darwin for the annual Regional Outlook Conference, which focuses on the land mass north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

A Northern Territory farmer at the conference says the disconnect between the bush and the city is the gravest issue facing northern Australia's rural industries.

Over the last seven years, Kane Younghusband and his family have pioneered a string of successful farms across the Top End, growing melons, pumpkins, mangoes, sweet corn and beans.

But he says the biggest issue facing primary producers is a divide between bush and the city voters influencing public policy.

He says farmers in northern Australia need to get behind their industry associations and find new ways to engage urban dwellers about the importance of food production.

Economist Terry Sheales says the northern beef industry has grown 1.2 per cent compared with the southern beef industry's 0.8 per cent growth due to the strengthening south-east Asian live cattle export trade and the impact of drought in southern Australia.

But he warns all exporters will need to do more to insulate their businesses from the volatile Australian dollar.

He says public investment in productivity-focussed research and development is slowing while investment in non-productivity enhancing research, like the environment, is increasing.

He fears this may hold back future productivity improvements.