Irrigation - Production
Australia
What is the gross value of irrigated production?
The gross value of production refers to the gross value of commodities produced. It is the value placed on recorded production at the wholesale prices realised in the market place (ABS Water Account, 2000).
Irrigated production accounts for approximately 29% of the total gross value of production from agriculture, which was estimated at $28,156 million in 1996/97. The irrigated production value was estimated to equal $8,124 million in 1996/97.
In 1996/97 about 30% of the total irrigated production value was derived from New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland contributed about 25% each, 10% in South Australia, 5% in Western Australia, 4% in Tasmania, and less than 1% in the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory.
The chart and table below compare the gross value of production in 1992/93 and 1996/97 for each State and Territory.
The estimated increase in the irrigated gross value of production from 1992/93 to 1996/97 is 6% nationally. All States located within the Murray-Darling Basin experienced an increase, with the highest increase estimated in South Australia at 20%. The data indicates that the remaining States and Territories (including Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania) all experienced a decrease in the value of irrigation production. The relatively dry year of 1996/97 compared to 1992/93 is likely to have contributed to the observed decrease in irrigation production in these States and Territories. The drier climate is likely to have had a greater impact in these three States as there are limited irrigation water supply storages compared to that available to support irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Source: ABS 2000, unpublished
| State / Territory | Value ($m) 92/93 (adjusted) | Value ($m) 96/97 (adjusted) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | 7,656 | 8,125 | 6.12 |
| ACT | 0 | 1 | 85,000.00 |
| NSW | 1,965 | 2,323 | 18.26 |
| NT | 349 | 24 | -93.13 |
| QLD | 1,792 | 1,918 | 7.07 |
| SA | 704 | 842 | 19.67 |
| TAS | 581 | 296 | -49.05 |
| VIC | 1,770 | 1,997 | 12.86 |
| WA | 632 | 378 | -40.19 |
Source: ABS 2000, unpublished
What type and area of culture is supported by irrigation in Australia?
Irrigated pasture covers the largest area of irrigated land in Australia, accounting for approximately 935,000 ha or 37% of the total area of irrigated land in 1996/97. Cotton and cereal each represent about 13% and rice and sugar cane about 7% each.
The proportion of the irrigated area of each major crop type grown in each State and Territory is presented in the following charts and are summarised below:
- Cereals are predominantly grown in NSW (82%).
- Cotton is grown in two States, NSW (72%) and QLD (28%).
- Fruit is grown in all States/Territories, with the largest irrigated area in QLD (27%), NSW (23%), VIC (23%) and SA (17%).
- Grapevines are predominantly grown in SA (43%), VIC (30%), and NSW (22%).
- Rice is mostly grown in NSW, with a small proportion in VIC.
- Sugarcane is primarily grown in QLD.
- Pasture is predominantly grown in VIC (49%) and NSW (37%).
- Vegetables are grown in all states, with the largest irrigated area in QLD (27%), VIC (23%), TAS (16%) and NSW (17%).
- Other irrigated crops are grown in a most states.
| State | Pasture (ha) | Cereal (ha) | Other Crops (ha) | Vegetables (ha) | Grapes (ha) | Fruit (ha) | Sugar (ha) | Cotton (ha) | Rice (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | 934,393 | 335,974 | 88,826 | 82,319 | 70,250 | 371,681 | 314,958 | 152,367 | 173,224 |
| ACT | 71 | 2 | 46 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NSW | 346,164 | 279,529 | 14,521 | 19,035 | 15,194 | 232,507 | 225,493 | 151,434 | 104 |
| NT | 175 | 140 | 262 | 1,146 | 118 | 113 | 0 | 150 | 0 |
| QLD | 47,749 | 30,754 | 23,399 | 22,535 | 822 | 106,252 | 89,385 | 0 | 172,268 |
| SA | 50,124 | 2,856 | 8,040 | 13,793 | 30,433 | 10,235 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TAS | 24,787 | 2,217 | 15,326 | 2,419 | 189 | 6,802 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VIC | 454,735 | 18,558 | 19,897 | 18,626 | 20,827 | 13,426 | 0 | 783 | 0 |
| WA | 10,593 | 1,920 | 7,337 | 4,756 | 2,655 | 2,333 | 80 | 0 | 853 |
Source: ABS AgStats 1997
The type and extent of crops irrigated across Australia are shown in the following chart. Individual product charts of irrigated area per state can be viewed for pasture, vegetables, fruit, grapes, cereals, cotton, rice, sugar and other crops.
Source: ABS AgStats 1997
What is the gross value of production for the main types of irrigated culture in Australia?
The dairy industry is the greatest contributor to the gross value of irrigated production in Australia, at $1,410 million. Cotton, crops, vegetables and fruit contribute between 14% to 16% of the total gross value of irrigated production. Grapevines contribute 8%, sugar 7%, rice 4%, and livestock 2%.
| State | Dairy ($m) | Livestock ($m) | Crops ($m) | Vegetables ($m) | Grapes ($m) | Fruit ($m) | Sugar ($m) | Cotton ($m) | Rice ($m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | 1,259 | 148 | 1,133 | 1,119 | 1,027 | 613 | 1,128 | 310 | 517 |
| ACT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NSW | 232 | 107 | 415 | 142 | 199 | 133 | 845 | 0 | 1 |
| NT | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| QLD | 109 | 9 | 254 | 303 | 229 | 12 | 283 | 0 | 513 |
| SA | 88 | 3 | 92 | 136 | 179 | 254 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TAS | 67 | 1 | 29 | 124 | 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VIC | 722 | 23 | 268 | 289 | 298 | 183 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WA | 40 | 5 | 72 | 120 | 73 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Notes:
1. Dairy: Based on the value of milk products
2. Livestock: Includes all stock products, except milk
3. Crops: Includes all other crops, but is mainly cereals
4. Cotton: The value of cotton lint, including cotton seed
5. Sugar: The value of sugar cane for crushing
Source: ABS 2000, unpublished
The proportion of the gross irrigated value of production for each crop/farm type produced in each State and Territory can be viewed charts for: pasture (dairy & livestock), vegetables, fruit, grapes, cotton, and crops.
What changes in the area and gross value of production have occurred for each of the main types of irrigated culture?
The change in the irrigated area and the gross value of irrigated production from 1992/93 to 1996/97 is presented by culture/farm type in the following tables and is summarised below:
- An overall decrease in the gross value of irrigated production was observed for fruit, vegetables, and livestock nationally. The largest decrease was observed in fruit ($666 million or 37%).
- The production value of cotton and rice increased by the highest percentage, 84% ($575 million) and 74% ($147 million) respectively.
- The production value of grapevines increased by 50% or $229 million nationally, with the greatest increase observed in South Australia ($144 million or 103%).
- Sugar increased in production value by $133 million or 30%.
- Dairy increased by $144 million or 11% with the greatest increase observed in New South Wales and Queensland.
- Nationally, the value of irrigated crops increased by $20 million (2%), with a 6% increase observed in New South Wales and Queensland and a decrease observed in the remaining States.
There are a number of factors that can influence the gross value of production of crops in a particular year and region. For example:
- Manufacturing and processing industry prices, such as milk production can affect the receipts received from production;
- Market prices, both local and international;
- Climate and other factors such as pests that can impact on yield;
- New industry investment;
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) annual farm surveys provide information on industry farm performance and the factors influencing performance.
The change in irrigated area for each culture type is compared across the States and Territories for the period from 1983/84 to 1996/97. It is noted that for all culture types, except grapevines, between the period from 1994 to 1997 there was no observed growth in irrigated area, with a decrease in irrigated area observed in most States. During this period the climate conditions were dry, with drought conditions experienced in some parts of Australia. This is likely to have contributed to the reduced growth in irrigated area.
The change in irrigated area for the period between 1984 and 1994 for vegetables, pasture, cereals and grapevines is summarised below. To view charts for the main types of irrigated culture, click on the links provided in the summary.
- Vegetables: The irrigated area has steadily increased across all States from 1984 to 1994. A decrease in irrigated area was observed between 1991 and 1993 in New South Wales and Victoria, followed by a large increase in 1994. This can be explained by the wet climatic conditions that prevailed during this initial period, resulting in a reduction in the demand for irrigated supplies. The increase in irrigated area observed in the following year is consistent with the dry conditions that occurred at that time.
- Pasture: The irrigated area remained relatively unchanged between 1984 and 1993, with a small increase recorded between 1993 and 1994 in most States. This increase is consistent with the dry weather conditions that prevailed during this time, which is likely to have required a greater proportion land under pasture to be irrigated.
- Grapevines: Prior to 1990, the area of irrigated grapevines was not reported. From 1990 to 1992, the irrigated area remained relatively unchanged in most States. A slight decline in the irrigated was observed from 1992 to 1993, possibly reflecting the wetter climatic conditions during this period. From 1993 to 1996, the area of grapevines increased across all States, reflecting the growing market and industry profitability.
- Fruit: Prior to 1990, the reported area of fruit included grapevine production. In 1990, the ABS Census questionnaire categorised grapevines separately to fruit. For this reason the data shows a significant decrease in fruit production from 1990 in States producing irrigated grapevines. Fruit production from Queensland has steadily increased from about 10,000 ha in 1984 to about 25,000 ha in 1994, representing the largest area of irrigated fruit in Australia.
- Cereals: The irrigated area of cereals has remained relatively unchanged between 1984 and 1994 in most States. In New South Wales, which contains the largest irrigated area of cereals, a significant decrease in the reported area is observed between 1987 and 1990, with a slight decrease also reported in Victoria. This decrease may reflect a change in the definition of cereal culture type and hence the type of crops classified as cereal, however this cannot be confirmed. The area of irrigated area in New South Wales increased from 1990 to 1994; remaining relatively unchanged to 1997.
Charts for rice, cotton, dairy and livestock were not produced, as supporting data was not available.
What is the gross value of production per ML water used?
The table and charts below compare the gross value of production per ML of water used for each crop type.
The vegetable and fruit industries returned the highest gross value per ML of water used for irrigated agriculture, at $1,760 ML and $1,460 ML respectively as shown in the table and graph below. Rice growing has the lowest ratio of gross value per ML water used at $189 /ML, followed by $289/ML for irrigated pastures, other grains and livestock.
| State | Vegetables ($/ML) | Sugar (a) ($/ML) | Fruit ($/ML) | Grape Vines ($/ML) | Pastures (b) ($/ML) | Cotton (c) ($/ML) | Rice ($/ML) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | 1,762 | 418 | 1,459 | 945 | 160 | 613 | 189 |
| ACT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NSW | 732 | 2,801 | 713 | 549 | 100 | 596 | 0 |
| NT | 16,949 | 0 | 2,431 | 3,322 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| QLD | 2,480 | 436 | 2,524 | 2,954 | 163 | 669 | 0 |
| SA | 2,084 | 0 | 1,562 | 1,478 | 142 | 0 | 0 |
| TAS | 3,014 | 0 | 18,067 | 16,304 | 975 | 0 | 0 |
| VIC | 2,688 | 0 | 1,728 | 840 | 210 | 0 | 0 |
| WA | 1,148 | 50 | 1,778 | 2,250 | 112 | 0 | 0 |
Source: ABS 2000
Legend: (a) Sugarcane for crushing
(b) Includes livestock, grains (except rice) and other agriculture
(c) Cotton lint (includes value of cotton seed)
Chart: Gross Value per ML Used, by irrigated agriculture 1996/97 Water - Account 2000
Source: ABS 2000, unpublished
The Murray-Darling Basin: a case study
The total area of irrigated crops and pastures in the Murray-Darling Basin represents approximately 64% of Australia's total area of irrigated crops and pastures. The main irrigated enterprises in the Basin include rice, cotton, dairy, horticulture and viticulture. Water used for irrigation represents 75% of the total volume of water used for irrigation in Australia.
The Murray-Darling Basin Commission is developing an Irrigation Management and Reporting System that will provide access to irrigation data characterising the extent, location, value and efficiency of irrigation activities in the Basin. Data and information that is currently available on irrigation in the Basin has been compiled and presented on the Murray-Darling Basin web page.
Further information
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