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Oilseeds
The oilseeds industry is a relatively young industry by Australian agricultural standards. The specialist oilseed crops grown in Australia include sunflower, soybeans, canola, safflower and linseed. Sunflower and soybeans are summer crops while the others are winter crops. In Australia, oilseeds are crushed for their oil, which is used for edible and industrial purposes, and for protein meals for livestock feeds.
The 1990s saw the emergence of canola as the main oilseed crop, with production increasing from around 70,000 tonnes in 1990-91 to 2.5 million tonnes in 1999-2000 (see table 16.22). Canola production accounted for nearly 90% of the total Australian oilseed crop of 2.8 million tonnes in 1999-2000 (table 16.38). Before the emergence of canola, the main specialist oilseed crop was sunflower seed. Peanuts and cotton are also major sources of oil, but as a by-product to their main output.
16.38 OILSEEDS
|
 | NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | WA | Tas. | Aust. |
|
AREA (’000 ha) |
|
| 1994-95(a) | 217 | 95 | 92 | 33 | 104 | - | 540 |
| 1995-96(a) | 227 | 105 | 57 | 35 | 99 | - | 522 |
| 1996-97(b) | 247 | 115 | 112 | 42 | 107 | - | 622 |
| 1997-98(b) | 310 | 125 | 89 | 67 | 248 | - | 839 |
| 1998-99(b) | 496 | 222 | 145 | 136 | 537 | 1 | 1,538 |
| 1999-2000(b) | 613 | 319 | 143 | 216 | 879 | *1 | 2,172 |
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PRODUCTION (’000 tonnes) |
|
| 1994-95(a) | 147 | 69 | 64 | 30 | 108 | - | 417 |
| 1995-96(a) | 339 | 143 | 46 | 51 | 117 | - | 697 |
| 1996-97(b) | 432 | 147 | 120 | 57 | 108 | - | 864 |
| 1997-98(b) | 419 | 142 | 82 | 92 | 270 | - | 1,005 |
| 1998-99(b) | 793 | 268 | 166 | 196 | 615 | 1 | 2,039 |
| 1999-2000(b) | 968 | 438 | 151 | 249 | 963 | *2 | 2,770 |
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(a) Excludes linseed.
(b) Excludes peanuts and cotton seed. |
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
Cotton
Cotton is grown mainly in New South Wales and Queensland, primarily for its fibre (lint). When the cotton is mature, seed cotton is taken to a gin where it is separated (ginned) into cotton lint and cotton seed. The lint is used for yarn while the cotton seed is further processed at an oil mill, where the short fibres (linters) remaining on the cotton seed after ginning are removed. These fibres are too short to make into cloth, but are used for wadding, upholstery and paper. The seeds are then separated into kernels and hulls. The hulls are used for stock feed and as fertiliser, while the kernels are crushed to extract oil. The oilcake residue (crushed kernels) is ground into meal, which is a protein roughage, and is used as a stock feed.
The quantity and value of seed cotton production have risen significantly over the past five years (table 16.39). The gross value of seed cotton in 1999-2000 was $1.4b, a 5% increase over the previous year.
16.39 COTTON
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| Seed cotton(a) | |
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| |
| Area | Quantity | Gross value | Cotton lint |
| ’000 ha | ’000 tonnes | $m | ’000 tonnes |
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| 1994-95 | 245 | 796 | 851 | 317 |
| 1995-96 | 315 | 923 | 1,003 | 381 |
| 1996-97 | 378 | 1,485 | 1,156 | 560 |
| 1997-98 | 381 | 1,519 | 1,228 | 564 |
| 1998-99 | 446 | 1,547 | 1,353 | 634 |
| 1999-2000 | 435 | 1,950 | 1,416 | 698 |
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| (a) Before ginning. |
Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0); ABS data available on request, Agricultural Census, Agricultural Commodities Survey. |
Sugar
Sugar cane is grown commercially in Australia along the east coast over a distance of some 2,100 km in a number of areas from Maclean in northern New South Wales to Mossman in Queensland. More recently, it has also been grown in Western Australia.
About 93% of production occurs in Queensland (table 16.40), with 75% of the crop grown north of the Tropic of Capricorn in areas where rainfall is reliable and the warm, moist and sunny conditions are ideal for growing sugar cane.
16.40 SUGAR CANE CUT FOR CRUSHING, Area, production and yield
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| New South Wales | Queensland | Western Australia |
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| Area harvested | Production | Yield | Area harvested | Production | Yield | Area harvested | Production | Yield |
| ’000 ha | ’000 tonnes | tonnes/ha | ’000 ha | ’000 tonnes | tonnes/ha | ’000 ha | ’000 tonnes | tonnes/ha |
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| 1994-95 | 16 | 1,825 | 111.2 | 347 | 31,146 | 89.8 | (a) | (a) | (a) |
| 1995-96 | 18 | 1,923 | 107.8 | 359 | 33,898 | 94.6 | 1 | 69 | 69.0 |
| 1996-97 | 18 | 2,231 | 124.0 | 371 | 36,232 | 97.6 | 1 | 170 | 164.7 |
| 1997-98 | 19 | 2,416 | 127.0 | 394 | 36,790 | 93.4 | 3 | 326 | 126.7 |
| 1998-99 | 20 | 2,555 | 126.0 | 379 | 35,587 | 93.9 | 3 | 392 | 135.5 |
| 1999-2000 | 20 | 2,493 | 123.8 | 405 | 35,316 | 87.2 | 3 | 355 | 123.2 |
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| (a) Data not collected. |
Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
Crops and pastures cut for hay or silage
To counter Australia's seasonal conditions and unreliable rainfall, many farmers use hay and silage as methods of fodder conservation to supplement pasture and natural sources of stockfeed.
Considerable areas of Australia are devoted to fodder crops and pastures, which are either used for grazing (as green feed) or harvested and conserved as hay or silage (table 16.41).
16.41 CROPS AND PASTURES CUT FOR HAY OR SILAGE
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| Hay | Silage made |
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| Area | Production | Production |
| '000 ha | '000 tonnes | '000 tonnes |
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| 1996-97 | 1,284 | 4,687 | 1,686 |
| 1997-98 | 1,427 | 5,295 | 2,129 |
| 1998-99 | 1,568 | 6,245 | 2,770 |
| 1999-2000 | 1,373 | 5,331 | 2,981 |
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| Source: Agricultural Commodities, Australia (7121.0). |
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