FED: Drought sliced 10pc off agricultural production in 2006-07

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2008
FED: Drought sliced 10pc off agricultural production in 2006-07

Latest figures from the Bureau of Statistics show drought sliced 10 per cent off the
value of Australia's agricultural production in 2006-07.

The Bureau says poor crop production fuelled the downturn .. which couldn't be offset
by improved prices.

Total agricultural production was 34.2 billion dollars in 2006-07.







Cotton dipped 46 per cent to 514 million dollars .. while rice fell a whopping 80 per
cent to 51 million dollars due to an 84 per cent slump in production.

Wheat production was down almost two thirds with wheat-for-grain 51 per cent weaker
at 2.5 billion dollars.

Barley for grain fell 30 per cent to a billion dollars .. while sugar cane rose to
1.2 billion dollars off the back of a one fifth increase in prices.

Despite a fall in lamb exports .. the value of livestock slaughterings rose three per
cent to 12.4 billion .. buoyed by increased production of other livestock.

The value of livestock products grew slightly by one per cent to almost six billion
as the increased value of wool and eggs offset the reduced value of milk.

Milk fell by five per cent to 3.2 billion dollars .. wool rose by nine per cent to
2.3 billion while eggs were up by 13 per cent to 398 million dollars.

AAP RTV mj/rl/crh/af

KEYWORD: AGRICULTURE (CANBERRA)

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