Top 7 Highlights of Australian Agriculture
Australia is a major agricultural producer, producing a great range of agricultural products for local, and international consumption
. Some of this production is made possible through the use of protective
canopies. How many of the following were you aware of?
Crops
Wheat is the most important agricultural crop to the Australian economy, judging by its monetary value, land usage and overall volume of production. It dwarfs the next nearest crop, barley, by a factor of over three. Barley itself has production over three times the next nearest crops. A cluster of crops jostle for this third position, with production of sorghum, cottonseed, canola, oats and lupins all usually significantly over one thousand kilotonnes per annum.
Horticulture
While much of Australia is desert, and unsuitable for agriculture, the sheer size of the country means there are a variety of climatic zones. Oranges, apples, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes are the main fruits and vegetables being successfully grown in temperate areas. In warmer northern regions tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes and pineapples grow well.
Wine
It's not only Aussies that enjoy a good drop. Australian wine can be found on retailers' shelves all over the world. The major producing regions in Australia are the Barossa Valley in South Australia, Margaret River in Western Australia, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales and Sunraysia in Victoria. A strong Australian dollar, and oversupply of grapes have been challenges for the industry in recent years. The upside has been cheaper wine for Australian consumers.
Cattle
Over sixty percent of Australian beef is exported, largely ending up on American and Japanese plates. Australia has stayed BSE (mad cow disease) free, giving it a major advantage over other producers in recent years. Australian sheep and lambs are also an important export. The Middle East is a major market. Pork is also produced in Australia, predominantly for local consumption.
Dairy farming
Milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter are some of the great locally produced dairy products Australians can enjoy, and maybe take for granted. The Westernisation of diets in Asia has seen demand for some of these products also increasing offshore. Increasing demand in the Middle East is also seen as supporting dairy farming in Australia, going into the future.
Seafood
Rock lobsters, prawns, tuna and abalone are some of Australia's largest export earning seafood products. With overfishing becoming a major global conundrum, it is encouraging to see that the proportion of Australia's annual seafood production coming from aquaculture has been steadily rising. It now stands at around a third of overall production.
Wool
Sheep not only provide great lamb roasts, but also some of the world's finest wool. The Merino variety of sheep is know for the high quality of its wool, and Australia dominates this sector, with around half the world's Merino wool production. For the wool market as a whole, Australia's market share is a little under ten percent.
Australia has been quite successful in the production and harvesting of the agricultural products listed above. The use of
bird netting has been useful in protecting valuable crops from pests. Managing these and other agricultural challenges need to continue to keep Australia as a successful agricultural producer.
Top 7 Highlights of Australian Agriculture
By: Justin Murray
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