Agricultural Production in Australia

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Agricultural Production in Australia

• Tom Loynachan
• January 30, 2008

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Agriculture in AustraliaOverview of production

• Climate
• Soils
• Crops
• Livestock

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Agriculture in Australia

• Agriculture industries in Australia comprise wide
  variety of crops, horticulture, viticulture,
  dairy, fiber, fisheries and livestock

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Agriculture in Australia

• Country is slightly smaller than the US
  contiguous 48 states
• 3 of Australias Gross Domestic Product comes
  from agriculture
• 80 of all agricultural production is exported
• Australia remains the world's leading producer of
  wool, regularly supplying nearly one-third of the
  global total

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Top Products by Values (2006-07)Millions of
Australian
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Melbourne 370 47 S Springfield, MO 370 13 N
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32 in. 800 mm
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• Irrigation in Australia is a widespread and
  required in many areas for production of crops
  for domestic and export use.

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• The gross value of irrigated agricultural
  production represents around a quarter (23) of
  the gross value of agricultural commodities
  produced in Australia in 2004-05, on less than 1
  of agricultural land. Common crops produced using
  irrigation include rice, cotton, canola, sugar,
  various fruits and other tree crops and pasture,
  hay and grain for use in beef and dairy
  production.

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• Australian Rice Crop at Record Low
• December 04, 2007
• AUSTRALIA'S rice crop is predicted to be the
  smallest on record due to the long-running
  drought, while cotton production is set to hit a
  30-year low, the chief commodity forecaster said
  Tuesday.

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• Australia Looks to GM Crops after Scorching 2007
  by Staff WritersSydney (AFP) Jan 3, 2008
• Australia's agriculture minister on Thursday
  hailed genetically modified crops as a means to
  help farmers combat climate change, as data
  showed 2007 was the country's sixth hottest year
  on record.

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Soils

• One of the greatest natural resources. I include
  soils developed on a wide range of rock types and
  under climatic conditions varying from the alpine
  zones of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania,
  through the Mediterranean zones of southern and
  south-western Australia and the wet and dry
  tropics of Queensland, to the very low rainfall
  areas of the center.

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Soil pH of Victoria
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Wheat

• Australian wheat is a major competitor of US
  wheat exports
• Production concentrated in a narrow crescent know
  as the wheat belt, which receives approximately
  400 to 600 mm average annual rainfall
• Grown as a winter crop (autumn-winter-spring),
  often in rotation with some form of pasture

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• Virtually all rainfed
• Wheat crop normally averaged 25 m tonnes (2nd to
  USA)
• 2007 9.8 m tonnes

1 metric tonne 1000 kg a megagram (Mg)
2205 lbs
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Barley

• Produced same areas as wheat
• 60 feed barley, 40 malting barley
• gt80 of malting barley exported (30 of world
  trade)

Barley has 3 major end uses Feed grain - it is a
preferred grain for many feedlots and stockfeed
manufacturers.Malt barley - for the production
of beer and other foodstuffs.Forage - for
grazing, hay or silage.
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• Australia cultivates an abundance of nuts,
  vegetables, and many tropical fruits, including
• Bananas
• Apples
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Pineapple
• Orange
• Mango
• Chestnuts
• Tomatoes

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Beef Industry

• Biggest agricultural enterprise
• gt60 exported mainly to
• United States
• Japan
• Benefitted recently because does not have mad cow
  disease

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Breeds

• http//www.yf-agrivet.com.hk/english_site/livestk_
  prod.htm

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Tropical breeds in north temperate breeds in
south
In north, large cattle stations, grazing on
native pastures at low stocking
In south, more intensive grazing on smaller farms
with introduced pastures and fodder crops
Pasture fed dominates but feedlots rapidly
developing
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Dairy

• Dairy products are Australia's fourth most
  valuable agricultural export
• Not heavy regulation todaywhich has changed over
  the last 30 years
• Asia and Middle East are prime markets

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Pork

• Produce about 5 million pigs annually
• 0.4 of world production
• Important for local employment and consumption

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Fisheries

• About 1/3 of value from aquaculture (farming of
  aquatic organisms), which has been steadily
  rising
• Main seafood exports include rock lobsters,
  prawns, tuna, and shellfish

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Questions