4627.0 - Land Management and Farming in Australia, 2013-14 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/07/2015   
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This document was added or updated on 13/10/2015.

MEDIA RELEASE
13 October 2015
Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)
110/2015
Decrease in the number of agricultural businesses applying nitrogen based fertiliser

The number of agricultural businesses applying nitrogen based fertilisers in Australia decreased in 2013-14, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

Land Management and Farming in Australia, 2013-14, provides a snapshot of a variety of land management practices including cropping and pasture management, as well as use of fertilisers and soil enhancers by agricultural businesses around the country.

“The ABS estimates that 41,400 agricultural businesses applied nitrogen based fertiliser to their land in 2013-14, which is a 15 per cent decrease on the 2011-12 estimate,” said Katie Hutt from the ABS.

“While we saw a decrease in the number of agricultural businesses applying nitrogen based fertilisers in 2013-14, the total area of land on which nitrogen based fertiliser was applied stayed consistent with 2011-12 figures, totalling 32.3 million hectares.

“Western Australia continues to have the largest area on which nitrogen based fertiliser is applied.”

The most commonly applied nitrogen based fertilisers were ammonium phosphates, which were applied to the largest area of land (12.0 million ha) and urea (11.9 million ha) .

A mix of annual and perennial pasture types were the most common pasture compositions reported by agricultural businesses.

“We estimate that 41,000 agricultural businesses had an estimated 111 million hectares of mixed annual and perennial pasture species on their holdings during 2013-14,” said Ms Hutt.

“We estimate that 23,700 agricultural businesses undertook some form of management practices on their perennial pastures during 2013-14. Grazing on perennial pastures was by far the most common practice accounting for 76 per cent of the total area being managed.”

For more information, go to Land Management and Farming in Australia, 2013-14 (cat. no. 4627.0), available for free download from the ABS website www.abs.gov.au.

Media note:

  • Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.
  • Media requests and interviews - contact the ABS Communications Section on 1300 175 070.