Essential farm facts guide sets scene for National Agriculture Day

• Each year, on average each Australian farmer feeds 600 people. • Agriculture powers 1.6 million Australian jobs. • Australian farmers manage 48 per cent of the nation’s landmass. • In the past decade, our primary industries have led the nation in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. • There are 85,681 Australian agricultural businesses that have an Estimated Value of Agricultural Operations (EVAO) of $40,000 or greater. • Cattle, wheat and whole milk are our top three commodities by value. These facts and many more are included in the National Farmers Federation’s (NFF) Food, Fibre & Forestry Facts: A Summary of Australia’s Agriculture Sector publication released today. NFF President Fiona Simson said the updated popular reference document was the perfect scene-setter for Tuesday’s National Agriculture Day. “Our farm sector punches way above its weight in its contribution to the economy, our society and the environment,” Ms Simson said. “National Agriculture Day on Tuesday, November 21 is the perfect opportunity for ALL Australians to celebrate this contribution.” Ms Simson said Food, Fibre & Forestry Facts, last updated in 2014, was the NFF’s most referenced resource, cited by school students, journalists, policy makers and farmers alike. “The authoritative publication is designed as a fast reference to top-of-mind national and state-by-state farm facts. “Facts like how many farmers are there in Australia, how much land do they farm, what is agriculture worth to our nation’s economy and how are farmers looking after the environment.” Food, Fibre & Forestry Facts references data from leading authorities such as the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES), the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR). The reference also drills down to specific figures on Australia’s leading agricultural commodities, including beef; sheep, wool, grains, cotton, dairy, pork, rice, dried fruit, sugar and forestry. “Food, Fibre & Forestry Facts outlines, in numbers, why all Australians, city and bush-based, young and old, can feel proud of our great farm sector and the many industries that support it,” Ms Simson said. “On November 21, I urge everyone from Broome to Bordertown, Bundaberg to Bondi, and Bourke to Brunswick to join us with in celebrating our great agriculture industry.” Food, Fibre & Forestry Facts: A Summary of Australia’s Agriculture Sector can be downloaded here: https://www.agday.org.au/farm-facts