At 30 June 2007 there were 30 551 businesses undertaking agricultural activity in Queensland with an estimated value of agricultural operations of $5,000 or more. The majority of agricultural businesses were engaged in either beef cattle farming (46.7%) or sugar cane growing (11.5%).

In 2006-07 Queensland had the largest estimated land area in agricultural use of any state or territory in Australia, about 144 million hectares, or 83% of the total State land area of 173.1 million hectares. Less than 2% of Queensland's agricultural land was used for cropping.

Industry	Number
Beef cattle farming	14 274
Sugar cane growing	3 516
Fruit and tree nut growing n.e.c.	1 538
Grain growing (excluding rice)	1 059
Vegetable growing (outdoors and undercover)	1 214
Grain-Sheep and Grain-Beef cattle	889
All other industries	8 061
Total all industries	30 551

n.e.c. not elsewhere classified
(a) Refers to agricultural businesses with an estimated value of agricultural operations (EVAO) of $5,000 or more.
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (cat. no. 7121.0).


Queensland's tropical and subtropical climate makes it Australia's main producer of a variety of broadacre crops, vegetables, citrus, tropical and exotic fruits. The main commodities grown in Queensland include sugar cane, grain sorghum, bananas and pineapples.

	Production '000 t		Area '000 ha		Yield t/ha
Sugar cane cut for crushing	33 058.5		382.9		86.3
Grain Sorghum	896.4		449.2		2.0
Wheat	^776.7		638.0		^1.2
Bananas	188.7		9.8		19.3
Pineapples	^164.7		2.7		^60.3
Tomatoes	120.7		*3.7		*32.2
Cotton lint	69.1		43.6		1.6
Watermelons	^61.4		^2.2		^27.5

^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution.
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (cat. no. 7121.0).


In 2006-07, the estimated gross value of agricultural production in Queensland was $9 531.5m, an increase of 9.4% on 2005-06. Crop production contributed $4 751.8m or 49.9% of the total value of agricultural production, while livestock slaughterings and disposals were valued at $4 359.5m (45.7%) and livestock products were valued at $420.2m or 4.4% of the total value of agricultural production.

	Total crops (including pastures & grasses) $m	Total livestock slaughterings & other disposals $m	Total livestock products $m	Total agriculture $m
2005-06	4 167.9	4 125.2	415.8	8 708.9
2006-07	4 751.8	4 359.5	420.2	9 531.5

Source: Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia (cat. no. 7503.0)

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