Australia

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Australia is traditionally a wool, a meat and a wheat exporter. However, because of the development of other parts of the Australian economy, the farm products share of the Australian GDP has been reduced over the last century.  In the first half of the 20th century it accounted for about a quarter of Australia's GDP and between 70 and 80 per cent of exports. Today it has fallen to approximately 3.3 % of GDP while it accounts for around 20 % of Australia’s exports. Apart from being a major exporter of wine, beef, sheep-meats, oats and wool, Australia is the fourth exporter of wheat in the world, and the world's second largest exporter of raw sugar (DAFF- Australian Government) and supplies with raw sugar to new refineries in Taiwan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia .

According to the Productivity Commission research paper, "Trends in Australian Agriculture" released in July 2005, Australian agriculture more than doubled its output in real terms in 40 years, despite the impact of severe droughts.

The increase was achieved without any rise in the number of agricultural workers, reflecting strong productivity growth.

Agricultural population (in thousands)

Total population

19 913

Agricultural population

853

Non agricultural population

19 060

Source : 2004, FAOSTAT

Land use

Cultivated surface area

439 500 000

Irrigated surface area

2 545 000

Number of farms

n.c.

Number of tractors

315 000

Source : 2003, FAOSTAT

Production indicators

Main crops

Source : 2005, FAOSTAT

Livestock

Source : 2005, FAOSTAT

Fishing (in metric tons)

Source : 2005, FAOSTAT