MEDIA RELEASE
17 November 2011	Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	147/2011

Australia's largest single commodity, wheat, rose in value by 60% to $7.6 billion in 2010-11, according to preliminary figures from the Agricultural Census released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

The value of principal agricultural commodities increased by 19% in 2010-11.

The total value of crops rose by 26%, livestock slaughterings by 8% and livestock products by 25%.

The value of livestock products increased to $7.2 billion in the same period, a rise of 25%, due to significant increases to the value of wool.

The value of livestock slaughtered rose by 8%, with increases in the value of sheep, lambs, cattle, calves and poultry offsetting decreases in the value of pigs.

Data highlights
Key crop movements:

• wheat, up 60% to $7.6 billion
• grain sorghum, up 52% to $448.7 million
• barley for grain, up 24% to $1.7 billion
• oats, up 18% to $218.3 million
• sugarcane for crushing, down 32% to $946.4 million
• cotton, up 126% to $1.7 billion

Key livestock and livestock product movements:

• eggs, up 30% to $554.7 million
• milk, up 17% to $3.9 billion
• poultry, up 16% to $2.1 billion
• wool, up 39% to $2.7 billion
• pigs, down 9% to $882.5 million

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 Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, Preliminary (cat. no. 7501.0)

Media note:
When reporting ABS data the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.