Oz agricultural sector shines

The overall value of Australia’s agricultural production soared to new heights in 2015-16, with figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Friday showing the industry to be worth A$56 billion ($42.5 billion). In a statement accompanying Friday’s statistics, ABS Director of Environment and Agriculture Statistics Lauren Binns said that while in some instances, including in the beef market, there were fewer animals heading to the sales, the value of the meat had increased, pushing up the industry’s production value. She said strong value growth in the livestock sector pushed the record growth in the overall agricultural field.