According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the 2020–21 financial year was the coolest and wettest for Australia since 2016–17. After three exceptionally warm and dry years a weak La Niña influenced Australian climate, resulting in the third-wettest December on record and the wettest northern wet season since 2016–17. Improved rainfall conditions resulted in average to above average annual streamflows and water storage across large parts of the country, particularly in northern Australia and coastal catchments in the south-east. Although water storage levels improved compared to 2019–20, in many parts of the country groundwater levels remained below average.
Improved water availability resulted in agricultural businesses increasing their irrigated cropping with notable increases in the area of cotton and rice planted.
Irrigated agricultural land
In 2020-21, 1.9 million hectares of crops and pastures were irrigated:
- 495,800 hectares of pastures and cereals used for grazing or fed off (up 8%)
- 320,100 hectares of cereal crops (excluding rice) (up 102%)
- 210,400 hectares of pastures and cereals used for hay and silage (up 12%)
- 197,400 hectares of cotton (up 260%)
- 197,000 hectares of fruit and nuts (up 14%)
- 157,500 hectares of sugar cane (down 17%)
(a) Includes both lucerne pastures and areas of cereal crops fed off
(b) Includes lucerne pastures cut for hay and silage
Irrigation water applied
In 2020-21, 5.7 million megalitres were applied to crops (73% of all water applied):
- 1.3 million megalitres for cotton (up 249%)
- 1.1 million megalitres for fruit and nuts (up 5%)
- 795,400 megalitres for sugar cane (down 10%)
- 516,500 megalitres for grapevines (up 10%)
Of the 2.1 million megalitres applied to pastures:
- 1.4 million megalitres for pastures and cereals fed off (up 13%)
- 664,700 megalitres for pastures and cereals cut for hay and silage (up 13%)
(a) Includes both lucerne pastures and areas of cereal crops fed off
(b) Includes lucerne pastures cut for hay and silage