7111.0.55.003 - Principal Agricultural Commodities, Australia, Preliminary, 2001-02  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/01/2003   
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This publication contains preliminary estimates of principal agricultural commodities and livestock numbers for the 2001-02 season, intended ewe matings for the forthcoming season, and comparative data for the previous year. These results are based on a response rate of approximately 62% of establishments from the 2002 Agricultural Commodity Survey. Please note that these data apply to the year ended 30 June 2002, and therefore do not reflect the impact of the drought which has affected most areas of Australia since that time.


KEY POINTS


Crops

Prelimary estimates for 2001-02 show that the estimated area of wheat sown in Australia during 2001-02 was 11.6 million hectares, a drop of 4% compared with 2000-01 (12.1 million hectares). Production of wheat increased by 12% to 24.9 million tonnes in 2001-02 (22.1 million tonnes in 2000-01). This rise in production was largely due to a 36% increase in production recorded in Western Australia.

The total area of barley planted for grain increased by 8% from 3.5 million hectares in 2000-01 to 3.7 million hectares in 2001-02. Increases were recorded in all mainland states apart from Queensland. Barley production increased by 25% to 8.4 million tonnes in 2001-02. Significant increases in production were recorded in South Australia (25%) and Western Australia (65%).

The area planted to canola in Australia fell by 7%, from 1.5 million hectares in 2000-01 to 1.4 million hectares in 2001-02. This was mainly due to a large decrease in plantings in Western Australia (21%). Production of canola remained virtually unchanged from the previous year.


Livestock

MILK CATTLE
Preliminary estimates of milk cattle numbers indicate a fall in the national herd, with numbers down by 4% to 3.1 million cattle at 30 June 2002. Decreases were recorded in all states. Victoria continued to dominate the industry with 1.9 million milk cattle, or 63% of the nation's herd.

MEAT CATTLE
Preliminary estimates indicate a turnaround in the recent growth in meat cattle numbers with the national herd estimated to have fallen slightly to 24.2 million head at 30 June 2002. The Queensland meat cattle herd of 10.9 million head represented 45% of the total herd, while the New South Wales herd of 5.6 million head represented 23% of the total herd.

SHEEP AND LAMBS
Preliminary estimates indicate the size of the sheep and lamb flock was 108.6 million at 30 June 2002. This was down 2% from the previous year.

The number of ewes intended to be mated during the year ended 30 June 2003 was estimated to be 47.6 million head. Actual matings for the year ended 30 June 2002 (46.5 million) were 1% lower than actual matings reported the previous year.

There were 38.5 million lambs marked during the year, which was little changed from the previous year.

PIGS
Preliminary estimates show a 5% rise in pig numbers to 2.9 million head at 30 June 2002 with large increases in Victoria (18%) and Western Australia (25%).

Table 1, Area and Production of Principal Crops

Australia
2002p


2001
2002p
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT

WHEAT FOR GRAIN
Area ('000 ha)
12,141
11,597
3,498
1,137
615
1,962
4,380
6
(a)
**
Production ('000 t)
22,108
24,854
8,257
2,812
929
4,897
7,931
27
(a)
**

OATS FOR GRAIN
Area ('000 ha)
650
773
236
144
10
86
292
6
(a)
-
Production ('000 t)
1,050
1,439
331
352
6
171
567
12
(a)
-

BARLEY FOR GRAIN
Area ('000 ha)
3,454
3,724
659
707
96
1,181
1,074
7
(a)
n.a.
Production ('000 t)
6,743
8,423
1,389
1,692
184
2,891
2,243
25
(a)
n.a.

LUPINS FOR GRAIN
Area ('000 ha)
1,180
1,142
102
33
-
83
924
*-
(a)
n.a.
Production ('000 t)
1,055
1,220
125
42
-
156
896
*1
(a)
n.a.

CANOLA
Area ('000 ha)
1,459
1,364
536
247
*1
170
409
1
(a)
-
Production ('000 t)
1,775
1,797
716
355
*1
285
439
1
(a)
-

COTTON LINT
Area ('000 ha)
536
438
290
(a)
147
(a)
1
(a)
(a)
(a)
Production ('000 t)
666
624
450
(a)
173
(a)
-
(a)
(a)
(a)

CEREALS FOR HAY
Area ('000 ha)
419
442
66
48
47
113
166
1
-
n.a.
Production ('000 t)
1,657
1,791
195
208
115
539
730
5
-
n.a.

SUGAR CANE CUT FOR CRUSHING
Area ('000 ha)
403
434
24
(a)
407
(a)
3
(a)
(a)
(a)
Production ('000 t)
28,117
32,567
2,891
(a)
29,367
(a)
308
(a)
(a)
(a)

GRAIN SORGHUM
Area ('000 ha)
758
858
263
**
589
(a)
**
(a)
-
n.a.
Production ('000 t)
1,935
2,129
785
*6
1,331
(a)
**
(a)
1
n.a.

(a) Data not collected.
* Relative Standard Error between 25% and 50%.
** Relative Standard Error over 50%; estimate is not published.
- nil or rounded to zero.
n.a. not available.

Table 2, Livestock Numbers

Australia
2002p


2001
2002p
NSW
Vic.
Qld
SA
WA
Tas.
NT
ACT

MILK CATTLE (a)
Cows in milk and dry ('000)
2,176
2,123
264
1,363
174
110
75
134
2
-
Other milk cattle ('000)
1,041
978
145
581
85
56
50
61
-
-
Total milk cattle ('000)
3,217
3,101
409
1,945
259
166
125
195
2
-

MEAT CATTLE
Bull and bull calves intended for service ('000)
591
623
177
55
249
31
53
12
47
-
Other calves under one year ('000)
6,083
5,655
1,333
751
2,255
314
533
113
352
3
Cows and heifers one year and over ('000)
12,007
12,386
2,854
1,229
5,542
552
1,057
199
948
5
Other cattle one year and over ('000)
5,823
5,505
1,190
487
2,824
214
395
101
294
1
Total meat cattle and calves ('000)
24,504
24,169
5,555
2,522
10,869
1,111
2,038
425
1,641
9

SHEEP AND LAMBS
Sheep ('000)
82,958
79,669
28,455
16,301
6,091
9,261
16,844
2,643
(b)
73
Lambs under one year ('000)
27,969
28,925
10,380
5,824
914
4,161
6,865
762
(b)
19
Total sheep and lambs ('000)
110,928
108,594
38,835
22,125
7,005
13,422
23,709
3,406
**
92

LAMBING
Ewes actually mated ('000) (c)
47,012
46,532
17,135
9,333
2,293
6,015
10,374
1,353
(b)
28
Lambs marked ('000)
38,227
38,549
14,361
8,114
1,133
5,279
8,472
1,170
(b)
20
Proportion of lambs marked to ewes mated (%)
81.3
82.8
83.8
86.9
49.4
87.8
81.7
86.5
. .
71.4
Ewes intended to be mated ('000) (d)
48,479
47,610
16,917
9,373
2,636
6,094
11,082
1,476
(b)
33

PIGS
Total pigs ('000)
2,748
2,881
817
658
617
409
358
19
3
(b)

a) Excluding house cows.
(b) Data not collected.
(c) Ewes mated to produce lambs marked in the season shown.
(d) Forecast made at the beginning of each season.
** relative Standard Error over 50%; estimate is not published.
- nil or rounded to zero.
. . not applicable


TECHNICAL NOTE

A decision has been made to publish only these preliminary estimates and 2001 final estimates, rather than the usual three years of data, pending the completion of work to re-calculate live population estimates for previous survey years (1998-99 and 1999-2000). Estimates for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 will be adjusted accordingly and will be published in a forthcoming issue of Agriculture, Australia (cat. no. 7113.0) which is scheduled for release in 2003.