AGRICULTURE IN THE ACR 2005-06
The Australian Capital Region (ACR) which comprises the ACT and 17 surrounding Local Government Areas has a most productive agricultural industry. In 2005-06, nearly 6,400 businesses in this region conducted agricultural operations on 3.5 million hectares and produced goods to the value of $793million.
To put this into perspective, the ACR contributed 8.8% to the total value of agricultural production in New South Wales (NSW) using only 5.6% of the state's agricultural land. But the ACR is not only known for its productivity - it also has a history rich in the development of Australia's wool and wheat industries, due mainly to the efforts of two early pioneers, Hamilton Hume and William Farrer.
Following the famous explorer Hume's first sighting of the Yass Plains in 1821 and subsequent surveys in the district, settlers began arriving with their sheep flocks in the late 1820's to take advantage of the good agricultural land. Sheep numbers flourished and in 2006 the Yass Shire and four adjoining shires of Boorowa, Upper Lachlan, Gundagai and Harden between them ran 3.9 million sheep and lambs. Overall, the ACR grazed 6.8 million sheep and lambs which was slightly above one fifth of all sheep and lambs in NSW.
AGRICULTURE IN THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL REGION: 2005-06 |
|
 | | Crops - excluding hay(a) | Broadacre crops - excluding hay(b) | Wheat | Vegetables | Fruit | Grapes |
| | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
|
| New South Wales | 4 706 662 206 | 3 192 829 099 | 1 432 688 557 | 358 842 130 | 794 911 359 | 274 197 208 |
| ACR | 230 603 024 | 104 263 617 | 64 501 373 | 8 090 663 | 98 229 341 | 5 787 063 |
| Bega Valley (A) | 3 242 016 | 69 188 | - | 231 041 | 189 944 | 11 484 |
| Bombala (A) | 723 539 | 452 163 | 92 582 | - | 26 788 | - |
| Boorowa (A) | 6 548 508 | 6 372 219 | 2 667 939 | - | 89 241 | 89 241 |
| Cooma-Monaro (A) | 5 563 286 | 710 026 | 66 589 | 4 609 458 | 48 486 | 4 249 |
| Cootamundra (A) | 21 560 342 | 21 485 007 | 14 180 184 | - | 75 335 | 30 777 |
| Eurobodalla (A) | 1 428 090 | 78 514 | - | 140 861 | 203 112 | 1 540 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree (A) - Goulburn | 42 219 | 42 219 | - | - | - | 3 352 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree (A) Bal | 3 568 525 | 778 774 | 71 174 | 130 213 | 45 165 | - |
| Gundagai (A) | 9 859 236 | 3 405 681 | 1 559 751 | - | 6 451 341 | 1 898 020 |
| Harden (A) | 35 912 018 | 23 178 886 | 14 102 946 | - | 12 381 190 | 1 108 430 |
| Palerang (A) - Pt A | 1 998 075 | 95 914 | 82 689 | 28 846 | 92 094 | 40 793 |
| Palerang (A) - Pt B | 705 147 | 112 858 | - | 43 747 | 286 707 | - |
| Queanbeyan (C) | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Snowy River (A) | 446 258 | 168 136 | 54 019 | 29 521 | 8 959 | 4 394 |
| Tumbarumba (A) | 16 028 121 | 1 292 707 | 8 900 | - | 11 493 777 | 1 027 286 |
| Tumut Shire (A) | 35 110 353 | 131 473 | 102 094 | 32 825 | 33 764 318 | 64 865 |
| Upper Lachlan (A) | 4 194 846 | 1 595 388 | 363 380 | 335 891 | 84 813 | 19 647 |
| Yass Valley (A) | 6 483 118 | 3 127 182 | 1 118 577 | 2 135 599 | 938 793 | 409 627 |
| Young (A) | 73 290 301 | 41 162 908 | 30 030 549 | 134 967 | 31 451 485 | 589 158 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 3 899 026 | 4 374 | - | 237 694 | 597 793 | 484 200 |
|
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| (a) Includes cereal crops for grain, legumes for grain, oilseeds, cotton, peanuts, sugar cane and other broadacre crops, nurseries/cut flowers/turf, vegetables for human consumption and for seed, and fruit. |
| (b) Includes cereal crops for grain, legumes for grain, oilseeds, cotton, peanuts, sugar cane and other broadacre crops. |
| Source: ABS data available on request, Agricultural Census commodities, 2005-06. |
| Note: New South Wales: Cities (C) and Areas (A). |
AGRICULTURE IN THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL REGION: 2005-06 |
|
| | Cattle and calves slaughtered | Sheep and lambs slaughtered | Milk | Wool |
| | $ | $ | $ | $ |
|
| New South Wales | 1 603 272 230 | 475 896 994 | 410 973 720 | 691 509 071 |
| ACR | 157 619 245 | 91 479 798 | 54 524 147 | 152 379 933 |
| Bega Valley (A) | 14 720 893 | 373 544 | 37 913 574 | 575 693 |
| Bombala (A) | 5 032 273 | 6 472 476 | - | 9 270 415 |
| Boorowa (A) | 5 132 146 | 6 846 767 | 136 550 | 15 303 313 |
| Cooma-Monaro (A) | 4 883 617 | 4 336 100 | - | 7 575 448 |
| Cootamundra (A) | 5 359 310 | 6 022 250 | 1 983 | 6 951 198 |
| Eurobodalla (A) | 3 390 168 | 6 880 | 7 102 467 | 30 158 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree (A) - Goulburn | 97 617 | 58 017 | - | 122 345 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree (A) Bal | 5 559 912 | 3 013 750 | 29 539 | 5 858 624 |
| Gundagai (A) | 16 483 068 | 7 122 134 | 52 035 | 9 359 839 |
| Harden (A) | 7 532 205 | 8 680 121 | 832 953 | 10 575 950 |
| Palerang (A) - Pt A | 2 976 727 | 837 961 | 13 485 | 2 066 634 |
| Palerang (A) - Pt B | 10 031 859 | 2 000 010 | - | 2 680 912 |
| Queanbeyan (C) | 147 388 | 38 682 | - | 158 841 |
| Snowy River (A) | 5 576 795 | 5 317 489 | - | 8 552 913 |
| Tumbarumba (A) | 16 578 721 | 2 344 167 | 6 241 855 | 2 918 119 |
| Tumut Shire (A) | 13 315 908 | 2 182 229 | 1 769 577 | 2 458 209 |
| Upper Lachlan (A) | 15 993 306 | 16 588 771 | 21 828 | 30 411 531 |
| Yass Valley (A) | 11 727 647 | 9 188 575 | 100 990 | 22 173 972 |
| Young (A) | 9 595 685 | 8 824 875 | 307 311 | 13 464 591 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 3 484 000 | 1 225 000 | - | 1 871 228 |
|
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| Source: ABS data available on request, Agricultural Census commodities, 2005-06. |
| Note: New South Wales: Cities (C) and Areas (A). |
In terms of value of production, the wool/sheep meat industry is the ACR's most valuable agricultural industry ($244 million). For a region encompassing an area often referred to as the 'fine wool capital of the world’ (a reputation earned through the work of such men as renowned breeder of fine-woolled sheep, Sir Walter Merriman), it is no surprise that the value of wool produced ($152 million) is that industry's major earner. The value of slaughterings added a further $91 million.
While the graziers of the Yass Valley improved their flocks in the late 1800's and early 1900's, a breeder of another type in the south of the ACR was working on producing a wheat variety better suited to Australian conditions. In 1886, William James Farrer settled at Lambrigg Station (just south of where Canberra is today) and continued his cross-breeding experiments which led to the development of his most famous variety - the Federation. This strain is claimed to have almost trebled Australia's wheat harvest between 1900 and 1920.
AGRICULTURE IN THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL REGION: 2005-06 - Total |
|
| | Total Area of Holding | Number of agricultural businesses | Total gross value of production |
| | ha | no. | $ |
|
| New South Wales | 62 119 245 | 48 838 | 9 034 542 039 |
| ACR | 3 468 015 | 6 356 | 792 755 997 |
| Bega Valley (A) | 97 919 | 465 | 58 740 726 |
| Bombala (A) | 195 137 | 232 | 21 884 890 |
| Boorowa (A) | 231 394 | 285 | 37 439 811 |
| Cooma-Monaro (A) | 242 665 | 303 | 23 797 300 |
| Cootamundra (A) | 135 850 | 199 | 42 952 559 |
| Eurobodalla (A) | 34 840 | 168 | 12 589 591 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree (A) - Goulburn | 3 497 | 24 | 411 275 |
| Goulburn Mulwaree (A) Bal | 174 976 | 351 | 24 166 446 |
| Gundagai (A) | 209 265 | 285 | 48 146 852 |
| Harden (A) | 171 587 | 278 | 81 530 930 |
| Palerang (A) - Pt A | 74 546 | 158 | 9 400 421 |
| Palerang (A) - Pt B | 167 677 | 310 | 16 328 416 |
| Queanbeyan (C) | 5 239 | 23 | 406 467 |
| Snowy River (A) | 265 117 | 294 | 21 009 247 |
| Tumbarumba (A) | 185 606 | 321 | 47 397 423 |
| Tumut Shire (A) | 125 271 | 383 | 56 776 590 |
| Upper Lachlan (A) | 553 175 | 1 017 | 79 025 266 |
| Yass Valley (A) | 287 026 | 663 | 54 977 763 |
| Young (A) | 262 318 | 498 | 138 814 771 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 44 910 | 99 | 16 959 253 |
|
| Source: ABS data available on request, Agricultural Census Commodities, 2005-06. |
| Note: New South Wales: Cities (C) and Areas (A). |
Considering this historical connection to the development of Australia's most popularly grown crop, it is no wonder that wheat is a major commodity in the ACR with 362,000 tonnes (nearly 5% of the total NSW wheat crop) harvested in 2005-06 at value of $65 million. Including wheat, production of all broadacre crops (which includes cereals and legumes for grain, oilseeds, cotton, peanuts and sugar) in the ACR was valued in 2006 at $104 million, just over 3% of the total state value.
After sheep/wool, cattle and calves slaughterings in the ACR were valued at $158 million. This cull came from a herd estimated at 700,000 beef cattle and 47,000 dairy cattle in mid 2006. Feathered livestock of the chicken variety numbered 1.4 million with the 800,000 layers producing 13.4 million dozen eggs in 2005-06.
The largest agricultural zone in the ACR is the Upper Lachlan Shire, which includes the towns of Crookwell, Taralga and Gunning. Just over 1,000 agricultural businesses in this shire conduct operations across 553,000 ha. Other shires with large agricultural operations included the Yass Valley (287,000 ha), Snowy River (265,000 ha), Young (262,000 ha), Cooma-Monaro (243,000 ha) and Boorowa (231,000 ha). The Australian Capital Territory had one of the smallest agricultural operations, covering just 45,000 ha.
On a value of production by shire basis, the Shire of Young led the way with $139 million worth of agricultural production in 2005-06, with broadacre cropping contributing $41 million (30%) to the shire’s total value of agricultural production. In the Harden Shire, broadacre cropping was again the major contributor with $23 million (28%) of the shire’s $82 million total value of production. However, in the Upper Lachlan Shire, the value of wool was the number one contributor with $30 million of the total $79 million for that shire. The Bega Valley, famous for its dairy industry, produced goods to the value of $59 million with milk production not surprisingly contributing $38 million, or 65% of this shire total.
In 2005-06, the Australian Capital Territory’s agricultural production was valued at $17 million with livestock products (includes wool and eggs) contributing $7.6 million and livestock slaughterings $5.1 million (includes slaughter of cattle, sheep and poultry). The value of fruit crops came in at $600,000.
Sources:
Agriculture Commodities: Small Area Data, Australia, 2005-06 (Reissue) (cat. no. 7125.0)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Farrer
http://www.yass.nsw.gov.au/printversion/1582.html
C.W. Wrigley, '
Farrer, William James (1845-1906)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 8, Melbourne University Press, 1981, pp. 471-473
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