Agriculture’s place in Australia

Australian agriculture accounts for:

• 58 per cent of Australian land use (385 million hectares, excluding timber production)
• 59 per cent of water extractions (9,434 gigalitres used by agriculture in 2015–16)
• 14 per cent of goods and services exports in 2016–17
• 2.7 per cent of value added (GDP) and 2.5 per cent of employment in 2016–17.

The mix of Australian agricultural activity is determined by climate, water availability, soil type and proximity to markets. Livestock grazing is widespread, occurring in most areas of Australia, while cropping and horticulture are generally concentrated in areas relatively close to the coast (see figure 2).