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Queensland showcased in inaugural National Agriculture Day

Queensland’s integral role in our nation’s agricultural story has been highlighted by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) as part of the inaugural National Agriculture Day on 21 November 2017.

National Ag Day is a chance for everyone to reflect on the pivotal role agriculture has played in our history, celebrate its successes and excite about its bright future.

QFF President Stuart Armitage said that there was a lot for Queenslanders to be proud of when celebrating our State’s agriculture sector and farmers that produce the highest quality food, fibre and foliage.

“Queensland now accounts for about 24% of Australia’s overall production value, making it the number one agricultural state in the country,” Mr. Armitage said.

“This really should not come as a surprise with the 26,000 farm businesses operating across 84% (144 million hectares) of the State.

“The sector is worth nearly $20 billion and employs over 315,000 Queenslanders across the whole food supply chain, supporting rural, regional and metropolitan economies.

“I think many Queenslanders acknowledge that our farmers are essential, however few would truly understand the scale and quality of the food, fibre and foliage they produce.

“For example; how many people would know that one Queensland dairy farm on average produces enough milk for over 12,000 people a year? Or that nurseries produce over 636 million plants for food, fibre and foliage every year?

“With over 85% of Australians living in urban areas, we are one of the most urbanized countries in the world. National Ag Day provides an opportunity to not only celebrate, but also educate the broader public about the critical role farmers play in sustaining our everyday life.

“The National Farmers Federation (NFF) should be commended for their work in advocating, establishing, and promoting this important day of recognition.”

Queensland agriculture facts:

Industry specific:

• Cane – Queensland’s 4,000+ cane farming businesses grow 30-35 million tonnes of sugarcane each year. Sugar exports worth over $1.9 billion to Queensland.
• Horticulture – Queensland is Australia’s premier state for fruit and vegetable production, growing one-third of the nation’s horticultural produce. Queensland’s 2,800+ horticultural farms produce more than 120 types of fruit and vegetables valued at $2.8 billion per year.
• Cotton – Queensland grows 1.5 million bales per year. One bale of cotton is enough to produce 1,200 t-shirts.
• Beef – Queensland produces almost half of Australia’s beef with a beef cattle herd of over 10.4 million head.
• Nursery – Queensland nurseries produce more than 636 million plants, which are supplied across the food, fibre and foliage supply chains every year.
• Dairy – Queenslanders consume 84 litres of fresh milk each per year. The average Queensland dairy farm supplies enough fresh milk for over 12,000 people a year.
• Chickens – 145 million birds processed in Queensland a year. Australian’s eat an average of 45kg of chicken meat a year.
• Eggs – Queensland’s $202 million egg industry produces approximately 362,000 dozen eggs every day.
• Pigs – Queensland’s $452 million pork industry processes 23,000 pigs per week and produces enough for 2.5 million hams during Christmas week.
• Flowers – Queensland’s flower farmers produce over 1.5 million bunches of flowers every year.
• Grains – chickpeas, wheat, sorghum, barley production in Queensland is worth $1.7 billion.

Statewide:

• Queensland is Australia’s largest agricultural state or territory accounting for 24% of the national production value.
• Approximately 26,000 farm businesses across the state, directly employing 60,608 Queenslanders and underpinning many regional and rural communities.
• 315,000 Queenslanders were employed across the whole food supply chain.
• 84% of the state (144 million hectares) is used for agricultural production.
• Queensland’s agriculture has a farm gate value of $19.95 billion – 20% greater than the average for the past 5 years.

For a national breakdown of Australia’ agriculture’s worth and value visit: www.agday.org.au

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