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Table 16.14 shows the area of crops in the States and Territories of Australia since 1870-71, and table 16.15 is a summary of the area, production and gross value of the principal crops in Australia over recent years.

16.15 SELECTED CROPS, Area, Production and Gross Value
	Area(a)			Production			Gross value
Crop	1997-98 ’000 ha.	1998-99 ’000 ha.	1999-2000 ’000 ha.	1997-98 ’000 t	1998-99 ’000 t	1999-2000 ’000 t	1997-98 $m	1998-99 $m	1999-2000 $m
Cereals for grain
- Barley	3,521	3,167	2,596	6,482	5,987	5,032	1032	835	865
- Grain sorghum	507	587	622	1,081	1,891	2,116	183	282	260
- Maize	57	64	82	272	338	406	55	60	62
- Oats	937	909	584	1,634	1,798	1,118	223	157	118
- Rice	147	148	131	1,324	1,362	1,084	341	360	289
- Wheat	10,441	11,543	12,168	19,227	21,465	24,757	3,802	4,011	4,831
Lupins for grain	1,425	1,406	1,347	1,561	1,696	1,968	306	242	286
Crops cut for hay
- Cereal crops for hay	401	425	357	1,567	1,827	1,429	194	196	146
- Non-cereal crops for hay	59	45	47	170	126	159	20	14	25
Other Crops
- Sugar cane cut for crushing	415	402	428	39,531	38,534	38,165	1,248	1,044	882
- Tobacco	3	3	3	8	7	8	46	40	49
- Cotton lint(b)	381	446	435	564	634	698	1,228	1,353	1,416
- Peanuts (in shell)	19	21	20	32	47	40	22	31	27
- Soybean	32	55	56	54	107	104	22	44	36
- Canola	698	1,247	1,911	855	1,690	2,460	330	643	760
- Sunflower	90	195	162	84	220	170	34	81	64
Orchard fruit
- Oranges	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	500	446	510	258	296	276
- Apples	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	309	334	320	273	321	274
- Pears (excluding Nashi)	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	153	157	156	108	112	72
- Peaches	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	65	66	86	53	65	74
Other fruit
- Bananas	10	11	12	223	225	257	230	266	284
- Pineapples	3	3	3	123	131	139	37	39	44
Grapes	78	95	111	1,112	1,266	1,311	998	1200	1,118
Vegetables
- Carrots	7	7	7	267	257	283	151	167	154
- Potatoes	43	41	37	1,372	1,327	1,200	493	438	382
- Tomatoes	8	9	8	380	394	414	167	192	190
Total all crops (excluding pastures and grasses)	21,595	23,264	23,769	. .	. .	. .	14,695	15,520	16,316
(a) Area is productive area. (b) Value of cotton includes value of cotton seed.
Source: Agriculture, Australia (7113.0); ABS data available on request, Agricultural Commodities Survey, Agricultural Census, Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced.

Wheat is Australia's largest crop. It is produced in all States but primarily on the mainland in a narrow crescent known as the wheat belt. Inland of the Great Dividing Range, the wheat belt stretches in a curve from central Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria and southern South Australia. In Western Australia, the wheat belt continues around the south-west of the State and some way north, along the western side of the continent (see map 16.17).

Final estimates for the 1999-2000 season show that wheat production increased by 15% over the 1998-99 season to a record 24.8 million tonnes (table 16.16). New South Wales recorded the biggest increase in production, up by 31% to 8.6 million tonnes, followed by Victoria which was up by 81% to 2.6 million tonnes. Western Australia remained the biggest producer of wheat with a record State harvest of 9.0 million tonnes.

16.17 WHEAT FOR GRAIN, Production - 1996-97(a)

Oats

Oats are traditionally grown in moist, temperate regions. However, improved varieties and management practices have enabled oats to be grown over a wider range of soil and climatic conditions. They have a high feed value and produce a greater bulk of growth than other winter cereals; they need less cultivation and respond well to superphosphate and nitrogen. Oats have two main uses: as a grain crop, and as a fodder crop (following sowing, fallow or rough sowing into stubble or clover pastures). Fodder crops can either be grazed and then harvested for grain after removal of livestock, or else mown and baled or cut for chaff.

Map 16.18 shows the production of oats for grain in Australia in 1996-97.

16.18 OATS FOR GRAIN, Production - 1996-97(a)

This cereal contains two main groups of varieties, 2-row and 6-row. The former is generally, but not exclusively, preferred for malting purposes. Barley is grown principally as a grain crop, although in some areas it is used as a fodder crop for grazing, with grain being subsequently harvested if conditions are suitable. It is often grown as a rotation crop with wheat, oats and pasture. When sown for fodder, sowing may take place either early or late in the season, as barley has a short growing period. It may therefore provide grazing or fodder supplies when other sources are not available. Barley grain may be crushed to meal for stock or sold for malting. Map 16.20 shows the production of barley for grain in Australia in 1996-97.

16.20 BARLEY FOR GRAIN, Production - 1996-97(a)

The sorghums are summer growing crops which are used in a number of ways: grain sorghum for grain; sweet or fodder sorghum, Sudan grass and, more recently, Columbus grass for silage, green feed and grazing; and broom millet for brooms and brushware. However, the grain is used primarily as stockfeed and is an important source for supplementing other coarse grains for this purpose.

Grain sorghum has been grown extensively only in the last two decades, with Queensland producing around 62% of the harvest (table 16.22). Grain sorghum is the third biggest cereal crop (in terms of production) in Australia despite it only being grown in significant quantities in Queensland and New South Wales.

Maize is a summer cereal demanding specific soil and climatic conditions. Maize for grain is almost entirely confined to the south-east regions and the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, and the north coast, northern slopes and tablelands and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area in New South Wales. Small amounts are grown for green feed and silage in association with the dairy industry.

In 1999-2000, maize for grain production increased by 20% to 406,000 tonnes (table 16.23).

Nearly all of Australia's rice is grown in New South Wales, with production centered in the Murrumbidgee and Murray Irrigation areas. It was first grown commercially in 1924-25 in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, which remains the largest individual producing region to this day.

Rice production fell in 1999-2000 by 20% to 1.1 million tonnes (table 16.24).