Australian Agriculture: Broadacre Crops

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is modernising the way official agricultural statistics are produced to better support Australian agriculture. New data sources are supporting improved regional detail on an annual basis. This helps to understand impacts from biosecurity and climate risks as well as supply chain and infrastructure requirements and supports decision making by governments, industry, and farmers.

ABS broadacre crop statistics are produced using a combination of Levy Payer Register data and satellite derived crop mapping. This data has enabled detailed regional Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) statistics to be produced, and these can be accessed through Data Explorer.

For further information on the modernised methods and new data sources used to produce the statistics contained in this publication please see the Methodology section.

There were 61.1 million tonnes of winter broadacre crops sold in 2024-25, an increase of 11.1 million tonnes from 2023-24. Local value for winter broadacre crops increased by $3.8 billion to $22.5 billion. Winter crops covered 25.8 million hectares, an increase of 26 per cent. Wheat, barley and canola remain the 3 largest crops, with the local value of production sold combining to $18.7 billion, representing 83 per cent of total winter crop local value. Wheat comprised 57 per cent of total winter crop production sold with 34.8 million tonnes, the highest for all winter crops.

Total winter crop production in 2024-25 (excluding faba beans and field peas) was 60.2 million tonnes, an increase of 10.2 million tonnes from 2023-24. Local value in 2024-25 for all winter crops (excluding faba beans and field peas) was $22.0 billion, up 18% from 2023-24.

In 2024-25:

• 34.8 million tonnes of wheat were sold in Australia, a 24 per cent increase compared to 2023-24
• $10.1 billion of wheat were sold, an increase of $1.3 billion
• 12.7 million hectares of wheat were grown, an increase of 2.2 million hectares
• Businesses selling wheat reduced by 2 per cent to 19,485

New South Wales produced the largest amount of levied wheat with 13.1 million tonnes sold, 4.7 million tonnes more than in 2023-24. Western Australia was a close second with 12.4 million tonnes, up 4 million tonnes. These two states combined accounted for 73 per cent of Australia's total levied wheat production.

Moree Surrounds Statistical Area 2 (SA2) in New South Wales was the highest wheat producing region in 2024-25 with 2.1 million tonnes sold, almost tripling production compared to  2023-24. Seven of the top ten SA2 regions for wheat production were in Western Australia.  The top eighteen wheat producing SA2s in 2024-25 all increased production from the previous year. 

The interactive map below shows the distribution of levied wheat production across Australia.

Areas can be selected to view the underlying data. All data can be found in the Data downloads section of this publication.

In 2024-25:

• 6.8 million tonnes of canola were sold in Australia, 700 thousand tonnes fewer than in 2023-24
• $4.9 billion of canola were sold, an increase of $380 million
• 3.7 million hectares of canola were grown, a decrease of 44 thousand hectares
• Businesses selling canola reduced by 8 per cent to 10,205

Western Australia remained the largest canola producing state with 3.0 million tonnes sold, accounting for 44 per cent of total national production sold. New South Wales was the second largest canola producing state, with 1.9 million tonnes sold, closely followed by Victoria with 1.4 million tonnes of canola sold. Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria combined accounted for 93 per cent of the total canola sold, a slight increase in proportion from the previous year.

Esperance Surrounds (WA) continues to be the highest canola producing SA2 in 2024-25, with 542 thousand tonnes sold, more than double the second highest canola producing SA2. Esperance Surrounds (WA) contributed 8% of the national canola production sold in 2024-25.  Eight of the top ten regions for canola production sold, were in Western Australia, one more than the previous year.

In 2024-25:

• 13.7 million tonnes of barley were sold in Australia, 2.8 million tonnes more than in 2023-24
• $3.7 billion of barley were sold, an increase of $507 million
• 4.9 million hectares of barley were grown, an increase of 900 thousand hectares
• Businesses selling barley increased marginally by 1 per cent to 12,540 businesses

Western Australia was the largest barley producing state with 6.5 million tonnes sold representing an increase of 2.3 million tonnes from 2023-24. Queensland and New South Wales reported the biggest percentage increases while South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania decreased production.

Seven of the top ten Statistical Area 2 (SA2) regions for barley production were in Western Australia. Kulin (WA) was again the highest barley producing SA2 nationally, with 1.6 million tonnes sold. Kulin's (WA) production was more than double that of Moree Surrounds (NSW) the next highest SA2 region, with 767 thousand tonnes sold, despite Moree Surrounds (NSW) more than tripling its production from 2023-24. 

Agricultural levy data is combined with satellite crop mapping to produce SA2 estimates of production, value, area, and number of businesses. For more detail refer to the methodology section.

Levy payer register data is reported from the first point of sale and comprehensively captures the ‘value of grain sold or used in commercial production’. A corresponding measure of tonnes is also reported in this data. This coverage supports the improved regional detail in this publication. In the case of sugarcane and rice, the levy is paid on tonnage and only tonnage data is available from levy payer register data and additional industry data is required to estimate value.

It is important to highlight that production tonnages and local value are based on what was sold through the levy system. The levy payer register data does not capture production or value of crops produced for hay, silage or used on-farm for purposes such as livestock feed. Most crops are primarily sold through the levy system however both oats and sorghum have significant production amounts used on farm. This means that total value, production, and business count data will be lower than total production. This difference is important to note when making comparisons with past ABS data. The ABS is continuing work to develop a method to estimate total production for these crops.

The satellite derived crop mapping data captures the entire area of crops planted regardless of their final use.

For more detail refer to the methodology section.

Regional statistics for broadacre crops are available through Data Explorer.

Link to Data Explorer: Broadacre crops, 2024-25 by Australia, states and territories and by Statistical Area 2

For information on Data Explorer and how it works, see the Data Explorer user guide.

This release is the second under the new staggered release approach flagged in Australian Agriculture: Broadacre Crops, 2022-23 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics. The new staggered approach will ensure that ABS agriculture statistics are released as close to the reference period as possible. This release includes statistics for winter broadacre crops for the 2024-25 financial year. Sugarcane statistics are unable to be released with winter broadacre for the 2024-25 reference year due to a delay in the availability of sugarcane crop mapping data. It is expected that sugarcane statistics for 2024-25 will be released in May with the 2024-25 Summer Broadacre statistics.

The ABS would like to thank the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Digital Agriculture Services, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, SunRice and Australian Sugar Manufacturers, formerly the Australian Sugar Milling Council for providing the data required to produce the estimates presented in this release. Thank you to the many individuals and organisations who contributed to developing the method used to produce these estimates without the need to survey farmers.