Farmers defy lack of rain to hit targets

PRIMARY producers across the Far North have played a role in helping to maintain the state’s production value despite harsh weather impacts.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the Queensland AgTrends 2018-19 report revealed production over the last year was in line with the five-year average.

He said Queensland’s primary industry products were doing well to maintain their value despite the challenges posed by the prolonged drought.

“Currently, 58.1 per cent of Queensland is officially drought-declared and the probability of exceeding median rainfall until January 2019 is low for much of Queensland,” Mr Furner said.

“The continuing dry conditions are a major influence on the chance of exceeding median growth particularly for the major cropping regions and extensive grazing lands of the state.”

The AgTrends report showed that the fruit and nuts sector was the star performer of the year, with outcomes higher than both Department of Agriculture and Fisheries forecasts for 2017-18 and the five-year averages. Other sectors to show increases include poultry, vegetables, seafood and wool.

In 2018-19, value of production (GVP) for the cattle and calf industry is forecast to be $5.05 billion, which is 6 per cent lower than the final estimate for 2017-18 and 3 per cent lower than the average for the past five years, with drought a key factor. The report also showed Queensland’s primary industries contributed significantly to the state’s economy.