EXPLANATORY NOTES
INTRODUCTION
1 This publication contains preliminary estimates for a selection of data items collected in the 2014-15 Rural Environment and Agricultural Commodities Survey (REACS). Included are statistics on broadacre crop area and production and livestock numbers.
2 Estimates for rice, sugar cane, cotton, and pigs have not been included in this preliminary release, but will be available when final estimates are released in mid-2016.
3 The REACS is conducted annually in the years between the five-yearly Agricultural Census.
4 Prior to 2012-13, the ABS conducted an Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) and an Agricultural Commodity Survey (ACS) in alternating years. In 2012-13, the ARMS and ACS were combined to form the REACS.
5 Estimates in this publication are based on information obtained from the REACS for the financial year ended 30 June 2015 and administrative data from non-ABS sources is used to supplement reported data. A copy of the 2014-15 REACS survey form can be found under the Downloads tab of this publication.
6 Estimates in this publication from the 2014-15 REACS are preliminary and may be subject to revision. The full range of final estimates from the 2014-15 REACS will be published in Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2014-15 (cat. no. 7121.0), Water Use on Australian Farms, Australia (cat. no. 4618.0) and Land Management and Farming in Australia (cat. no. 4627.0) from mid-2016.
SCOPE AND COVERAGE
7 The scope of the 2014-15 REACS was all businesses undertaking agricultural activity recorded on the ABS Business Register (ABSBR) above a minimum cut-off applied to the value of their agricultural production.
8 For the purposes of this survey a business is identified as undertaking agricultural activity as defined by the 2006 edition of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC). For more information, please refer to Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (cat. no. 1292.0).
9 The ABSBR is based on the Australian Business Register (ABR) which is administered and maintained by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Most businesses and organisations in Australia are required to obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN) from the ATO for their business operations.
10 A minimum cut-off value of $5,000 was used to determine whether an agricultural business operation was in-scope for the 2014-15 REACS. This measure of size was based on the ABS' Estimated Value of Agricultural Operations (EVAO) or a derived value based on turnover reported by an agricultural business operation in its Businesses Activity Statement (BAS).
11 The 2014-15 REACS preliminary estimates are based on a response rate of 80% from a sample of 34,627 agricultural businesses selected.
RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES (SAMPLE ERROR)
12 The estimates in this publication are based on information obtained from respondents to the REACS for the year ended 30 June 2015. The sample population for the REACS is drawn from the total agricultural business population in scope of the collection, and are subject to sampling variability; that is, they may differ from the figures that would have been produced if all businesses had been included in the survey.
13 One measure of the likely difference is given by the standard error (SE) which indicates the extent to which an estimate might have varied by chance because only a sample was taken or received. There are approximately two chances in three that a 'sample' estimate will differ by less than one SE from the figure that would have been obtained if all establishments had responded or been reported for, and approximately nineteen chances in twenty that the difference will be less than two SEs.
14 In this publication, 'sampling' variability of the estimates is measured by the relative standard error (RSE) which is obtained by expressing the SE as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers. Most published estimates have RSEs less than 10%. For some states and territories with limited production of certain commodities, RSEs are greater than 10%. Estimates that have an estimated RSE between 10% and 25% should be used with caution as they are subject to sampling variability too high for some purposes. Estimates with an RSE between 25% and 50% should also be used with caution as they are subject to sampling variability too high for most practical purposes.
Estimates with an RSE greater than 50% at the national, state and territory level have been suppressed in this publication as they are considered too unreliable for general use. Where figures for individual states or territories have been suppressed, they have been included in relevant totals.
RSEs for all published estimates are available on request.
15 A table with RSEs for the principal commodities follows:
|
RELATIVE STANDARD ERRORS OF SELECTED ESTIMATES - year ended 30 June 2015 |
 | | | | | | | | ACT | |
| | NSW | Vic. | QLD | SA | WA | Tas. | NT | Aust. |
| | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
| Barley for grain - Production (t) | 4.3 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 4.4 | 8.1 | - | - | 2.5 |
| Canola (oilseed) - Production (t) | 5.0 | 6.6 | 25.2 | 10.5 | 4.0 | 12.9 | - | - | 2.6 |
| Grain sorghum - Production (t) | 7.2 | 38.2 | 4.5 | 28.7 | 48.5 | - | - | - | 4.0 |
| Oats for grain - Production (t) | 6.9 | 7.5 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 5.7 | 11.1 | - | - | 4.0 |
| Wheat for grain - Production (t) | 2.6 | 4.4 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 4.0 | - | - | 1.6 |
| Total Dairy cattle (no.) | 6.6 | 4.1 | 16.7 | 14.0 | 12.7 | 3.3 | - | - | 3.1 |
| Total Meat cattle (no.) | 2.5 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 1.3 |
| Total Sheep and lambs (no.) | 2.3 | 4.5 | 13.9 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 43.2 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
ROUNDING AND CONFIDENTIALITY
16 Where figures for individual states or territories have been suppressed for reasons of confidentiality, they have been included in relevant totals.
17 Where figures have been rounded, discrepancies may occur between sums of the component items and totals.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
18 The full range of final estimates from the 2014-15 REACS will be published in Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2014-15 (cat. no. 7121.0), Water Use on Australian Farms, Australia (cat. no. 4618.0) and Land Management and Farming in Australia (cat. no. 4627.0) from mid-2016.
19 Preliminary estimates of the gross value of principal agricultural commodities from the 2014-15 Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced (VACP) Collection are available at the same time as preliminary quantity and production estimates. These estimates are located in Value of Principal Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia (cat. no. 7501.0). The full range of final estimates from the 2014-15 VACP Collection will also be published from mid-2016, in Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia, 2014-15 (cat. no. 7503.0).
20 ABS publications related to REACS can be accessed under the Statistics page on the ABS website. The ABS also issues a daily Release Advice on the website which details products to be released in the week ahead.
ABS DATA AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
21 As well as the statistics included in this and related publications, the ABS may have other relevant data available on request. Inquiries should be made to the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.
GENERAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
22 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated. Without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.
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