WAFarmers president, Mike Norton, says input costs are one of the most significant issues currently facing the agriculture, and is a driver in price increases at the retail level.

"In some cases, farm input costs, including fertiliser, fuel, chemicals and labour, have doubled and even trebled in the past 18 months," Mr Norton said.

"To ensure a sustainable future for the agricultural industry, WAFarmers believes that input costs need to be immediately addressed, and that a working group focusing on this area would be beneficial."

Following a WAFarmers requested Farm Inputs Workshop in July, and last weeks' WAFarmers General Section executive meeting, WAFarmers requested assistance from the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Kim Chance, in establishing the Strategy Working Group.

"There's a need to look at ways of finding and developing alternatives to the current excessive costs associated with input products, and this could be a role of the working group once established," Mr Norton said.

WAFarmers hopes that the working group would have the involvement of participants from all industries with vested interests in the success of the agricultural industry, including leading fertiliser manufacturing companies, researchers and developers.