NORTHERN AUSTRALIA DATA
Agriculture and Horticulture
8,059 agricultural businesses operate in the north
credit: ABS 2020-21 via AEG Group
Northern ag businesses make up 9.2% of the 87,402 ag businesses in Australia
credit: ABS 2020-21 via AEG Group
Northern Australia contributes 14% or $8 billion of Australia’s annual $58.9 billion ag production
credit: ABS 2017-18
There's 17 million hectares of arable soil in the north
credit: CSIRO 2020
The Ord River Irrigation Area has over 20,000 hectares of productive agricultural land, ideal for tropical fruits, chickpeas, cotton, chia, sandalwood, plus other crops.
credit: Australia's North West 2023
Agricultural production in the Central Queensland Fitzroy Region currently produces $13 billion annually, focused on beef, cropping and horticulture.
credit: Advance Rockhampton 2023
Digital tech can increase the gross value of Aussie ag production by over $20 billion, that's an increase of 25% over current production.
credit: Digital Foundations of Agriculture Study, 2022
Northern Australia’s beef herd comprises 12.5 million cattle and makes up 90% of Australia’s live cattle exports.
credit: CSIRO Livestock Logistics
The beef industry in Northern Australia represents 64% of the total Australian beef cattle herd
credit: ABARES 2019
The northern beef industry is valued at $5.03 billion, of which $3.7 billion was production at the farm gate and $1.3 billion in first stage processing
credit: CRCNA Beef Sector Situational Analysis, 2020
The cattle industy employs around 10,000 people across the north
credit: Beef Central 2021
Land transport costs comprise up to 35% of the market price of livestock.
credit: CSIRO Livestock Logistics
Australians eat around 25kg of beef per person
credit: Meat and Livestock Australia 2018-19
The northern Buffalo industry is worth $30 million
credit: NT Buffalo Council 2022
The live export of NT buffalo has doubled in the past five years, growing from 5000 head shipped in 2015 to 10,833 in 2020.
credit: NT Buffalo Council 2022
95% of NT cotton is grown using rainfall during the wet season
credit: NT Farmers Association 2022
All farmers who grow cotton are audited 3 times per growing season and must comply with regulatory standards.
credit: NT Farmers Association 2022
Northern Australia produces 93% of Australia's mangoes
credit: Australian Government Department of Agriculture
Nationally, the mango industry is worth more than $110 million, heavily concentrated in the NT and NQ
credit: Plant Health Australia 2021
Aussie grown (non-shattering) sesame varieties are valued at $2000 tonne
credit: AgriFutures 2023
In 2020, Australia imported more than 13,000 tonnes of sesame worth $57.25 million.
credit: AgriFutures 2023
Northern Australia sugarcane industry worth: $1.1b and comprises 81.6% of Australia's production
credit: CRCNA Sugarcane Situational Analysis