7111.0 - Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary, 2010-11  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/11/2011   
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MEDIA RELEASE
17 November 2011
Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
146/2011

Crops and livestock make good recoveries in 2011.


Sheep and lamb numbers show signs of recovery in 2010-11, according to preliminary estimates from the 2011 Agriculture Census released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics today.

The main reasons for the improvement were better seasonal conditions, high prices and strong demand.

Total cattle numbers have also increased, with meat cattle experiencing a slightly better recovery than milk cattle.

The majority of crops also had production increases, mainly due to the benefits of improved seasonal conditions and increased rainfall.

However, sugar cane was the notable exception, with loss of production due to the effects of flooding and Tropical Cyclone Yasi being major factors.

Cotton and rice production almost doubled and trebled respectively, largely because of the increased availability of irrigation water.

Drought conditions in Western Australia have impacted greatly and as a result, both production and livestock numbers have declined.

Data highlights:
Crops:
  • Wheat production rose by 28%, to 27.9 million tonnes when compared to 2009-10
  • Production of barley for grain rose by 4% to 8.1 million tonnes
  • Cotton production more than doubled, to 757,000 tonnes
  • Rice production was 726,000 tonnes, an increase of 269% from 2009-10

Livestock:
  • Milk cattle numbers increased by 2%, to 2.6 million head from 2009-10
  • Meat cattle increased to 26.2 million head in 2010-11, a 9% increase
  • Sheep and lamb numbers are up to 74.3 million head, which was a 9% increase from 2009-10.

Preliminary figures from the Agricultural Census are at the State/Territory level. The final estimates will be released from June 2012, including additional datacubes for regional geographies and Natural Resource Management regions.

Further details are in Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia (Preliminary) 2010-11 (cat. no. 7111.0).

Media notes:
  • Additional data will be released in June 2012 in Agricultural Commodities, Australia (cat. no. 7121.0)
  • The Agricultural Census, which was run in June 2011, has been the source for the data released in this publication. The information collected from the farming community via the Census will play a vital role in supporting the development and monitoring of Australia's agricultural, natural resource and water policies. Find out more.
  • Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) as the source.