Record crops deliver big agriculture gains

Agricultural machine Record crops have helped Australian agriculture deliver a bumper year, with new data showing a 17 per cent increase in value to $70.9 billion.gearbox

The agricultural census, which the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts every five years, provides a snapshot of the farming industry.

It was filled out by 100,000 Australian farmers in July 2021.gearbox

The ABS director of agriculture statistics Sarah Kiely said 2020-2021 was a fantastic year for the industry, with above average yields and record production for broadacre crops such as wheat, barley and canola.

Total crop values in 2020-21 rose by 41 per cent compared with the previous year, while the value of total livestock disposals fell six per cent.

Ms Kiely told AAP wheat had been a standout.

"For wheat in particular ... it's a 99 per cent increase to $9.9 billion in 2021 and that means there was also a production increase from the previous year of 120 per cent," she said on Tuesday.

The value of barley rose by 24 per cent to $3.7 billion, with production up 45 per cent on the previous year.The value of barley rose by 24 per cent to $3.7 billion, with production up 45 per cent on the previous year.agricultural gearbox

Meanwhile the value of canola rose by 114 per cent to $2.9 billion.agricultural gearbox

Drought-breaking rainfall and improved seasonal conditions helped the production and value of irrigated crops such as cotton to recover from recent lows.

Cotton production was up 451,300 tonnes to 566,000 tonnes, with the gross value up $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion in 2020-21.agricultural reducer，Lithium battery

Some 1.9 million hectares of agricultural land was irrigated, up 28 per cent.agricultural reducer，Lithium battery

A total of 7.8 million megalitres of water was applied to crops and pastures in 2020-21, up 37 per cent from the previous year.agricultural reducer，Lithium battery