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