By Simon Jenkins of AAP

Feral pests are costing the nation's farmers and governments almost $745 million a year, a new report has found.

The report, from the federally-funded Invasive Animals CRC, has found the economic impact to agriculture is $620.8 million a year, while landholders and government spend $122.7 million trying to eradicate pests.

The largest loss in crop production in any given year was caused by birds, at $313.1 million per year, followed by rabbits at $206 million per year.

In the horticulture sector, wines and grapes suffered the greatest economic loss due to pest invasions at almost $121 million.

Of the major agricultural industries - beef, wool, lamb and grains - the annual losses to the beef industry were the highest at $187.7 million.

At the launch of the report, Agriculture Minister Tony Burke said the problem with feral pests had always been understood anecdotally.

"What happens in this report is the anecdotes are transferred into real data and real data, where anyone wants to argue the toss on the figures, would only end up with higher figures," he said.

Mr Burke said the report's release was also timely given the rabbit was introduced into Australia 150 years ago this year.

"When it comes to feral pests, the enormity of our land mass is our biggest challenge and it means that in so many ways eradication seems out of reach."

But everything that could be done to control and minimise the problem was a breath of fresh air for farmers, Mr Burke said.

Invasive Animals CRC chair Helen Cathles, a landowner near Wee Jasper in NSW, said the report was the "tip of the iceberg".

"Many farmers ... feel like they're in a war zone. They feel like they have an insidious and persistent enemy, so consider the costs in this report but consider the costs that are not quantified," Ms Cathles said at the launch.

One of the report's authors, NSW Department of Primary Industries economist Dr Randall Jones, said for every dollar invested in feral pest programs there would be a long-term return of $25.

"So that concludes that investment in controlling and undertaking new research and developing new technologies to deal with this problem can generate very high returns to society," he said.

AAP