7123.1.55.001 - Agricultural State Profile, New South Wales, 2001-02

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/07/2003

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Contents >> Agricultural State Profile, New South Wales >> Farms >> Water use

Irrigation has allowed agricultural activities in areas of NSW where they would not otherwise have occurred. Designated irrigation areas within the state include the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, the Coleambally Irrigation Area and the Murray Valley Irrigation Area.

In 2000-01, cereals were the dominant irrigated crops, comprising 35% of total area irrigated in the state.

AREA IRRIGATED, NSW, 2000-01 (a)


	'000 ha

Cereals Pastures (native or sown) Fruit (including nuts)	392 331 26
Vegetables for human consumption	18
All other crops	360

Total area irrigated	1,073

(a) Sum of the components may not add to the total as farmers may have reported irrigation of more than one commodity on the same parcel of land.
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (cat. no. 7121.0).

The Murray Statistical Division (SD) recorded the largest area of agricultural land irrigated in NSW in 2000-01(372,000 hectares). This was followed by the Murrumbidgee SD with 287,000 hectares.

AREA IRRIGATED, 2000-01


Statistical Division					Total area irrigated '000 ha

Sydney					9
Hunter					31
Illawarra					1
Richmond-Tweed					7
Mid-North Coast					10
Northern					185
North Western					111
Central West					49
South Eastern					10
Murrumbidgee					287
Murray					372
Far West					1

New South Wales					1,073

Source: Unpublished ABS data available on request, 2001 Agriculture Census.