7111.0 - Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary, 2016-17 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 08/01/2018  Final
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PRELIMINARY KEY FIGURES
BROADACRE CROPS, Australia, year ended 30 June 2017

Production
Change in production since
Area
Change in area since
2015-16
2015-16
'000 t
%
'000 ha
%
Barley
12 920
44
4 624
13
Canola
4 073
47
2 539
21
Grain sorghum
991
-45
371
-29
Oats
2 126
64
955
16
Wheat
30 363
36
11 720
4

LIVESTOCK, Australia, year ended 30 June 2017

Number on holding
Change in number on holding since
'000
2015-16
%
Dairy cattle
2 620
-2
Meat cattle
23 323
5
Sheep and lambs
70 156
4



PRELIMINARY KEY POINTS

  • 2016-17 was an exceptional year with above average yields and record production reported for many broadacre crops including barley, canola, oats and wheat.
  • Wheat production rose by a third nationally to 30 million tonnes, while the area planted increased by 4%. Spring rainfall was above average in most states with cooler conditions contributing to higher yields.
  • Similarly, above average rainfalls combined with the cooler conditions in grain growing regions of NSW and Victoria led to record high yields of barley of 2.8 tonnes per hectare.
  • Despite increases in the majority of principle crops, sorghum production almost halved in 2016-17, down to 990,000 tonnes .The decline was driven by a reduction in the area planted in Queensland (Australia's largest sorghum producing state) where a low sorghum price at the commencement of the season caused many farmers to choose to plant other broadacre crops.
  • The meat cattle herd increased by 5% (1 million head) to 23 million head influenced by favourable seasonal conditions leading to readily available pasture and the continuation of the restocking of the beef herd seen in 2015-16.
  • The number of dairy cattle declined again in 2016-17 with declines in herd numbers in Victoria (down 2% to 1.6 million head) and NSW (down 8% to 299,000 head).

Graph Image for Crops(a), Australia

Footnote(s): (a) Data for 2017 are preliminary and may be subject to revision.

Source(s): Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary (cat. no. 7111.0)

Graph Image for Livestock(a), Australia

Footnote(s): (a) Data for 2017 are preliminary and may be subject to revision.

Source(s): Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary (cat. no. 7111.0)