An Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report on land use trends released on Friday shows that Australian farmers re-vegetated nearly 70 million hectares of land, mainly for livestock production, in 2011-12.

The Agricultural Resource Management Practices, Australia, 2011-12 study is the ABS’ most comprehensive analysis of land management practice on Australian farms to date, ABS Rural Environment and Agricultural Statistics Branch director Helen Baird said.

“Although the ABS has published farm land management statistics in the past, this is by far the most comprehensive stocktake of these practices to date,” Ms Baird said.

The publication includes information on fertiliser use, livestock, crop and pasture management as well as more unique topics such as feral animal management practices.
Ms Baird said the data will be used in conjunction with other information to assist with developing and implementing policies and programs on agricultural land management practices and decision making in relation to the Australian

Governments’ Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI).

Findings of relevance to the Australian cattle industry include:

• Agricultural holdings in Australia totalled 405 million hectares, a decrease of 4.2 million hectares, or 1pc from the 2010-11 Agricultural Census.

• Around 355 million hectares (88pc) of agricultural land were mainly used for grazing, with Queensland businesses reporting 129 million hectares or 36pc of Australia's agricultural land mainly used for grazing.

• Approximately 50.5 million hectares of agricultural land were mainly used for grazing on improved pasture, while 305 million hectares were mainly used for grazing on other agricultural land.

• Around 63,250 agricultural businesses reported a combined total of 32.0 million hectares of land that were mainly used for crops, with Western Australia using 9.9 million hectares, ahead of New South Wales with 9.2 million hectares.

• Almost a third (32%) of all agricultural businesses in Australia reported setting aside a combined total of 8.4 million hectares of land for conservation or protection purposes.

• The Northern Territory recorded the highest percentage of agricultural land mainly used for grazing (96pc), followed by Queensland (94pc). Victoria had the lowest percentage (54pc) but it was the state with the highest percentage of agricultural land mainly used for cropping (35pc). Tasmania recorded the highest percentage of agricultural land set aside for conservation or protection purposes (8pc).

• Approximately 105,000 agricultural businesses (or 77pc of all agricultural businesses) had livestock on their holding during the reference period. Of these businesses, 71pc indicated that they held cattle and/or calves while 40pc reported that they held sheep and/or lambs on their holding.

• Around 62,000 agricultural businesses reported rotating livestock on grazing land, with 21,000 (34pc) of those in New South Wales and 17,000 (27pc) in Victoria.

• Of the businesses breeding cattle in Australia, the calving rate per 100 cows was 76 for meat cows and 79 for dairy cows.

• Approximately 6.5 million cattle were rotationally grazed across an estimated 504,000 paddocks, covering an area of 24.4 million hectares. Businesses in Victoria reported rotation practices for around 2 million cattle, or 30pc of the national figure, across 208,000 paddocks (41pc of all paddocks). Queensland businesses rotationally grazed around 1.7 million cattle or 26pc of the national total, across 10.8 million hectares, or 45pc of Australia's grazing area where rotation practices were conducted.

• Set-stocking for cattle was undertaken on approximately 35.3 million hectares in Australia. Queensland accounted for 15.5 million hectares of this total (or 44pc) while the Northern Territory accounted for 8.2 million hectares (or 23pc of the total).

• In Australia, a total of 68.9 million hectares of agricultural land had some sort of vegetation management practices to protect and/or regenerate vegetation applied. Of this total, around 43.8 million hectares (or 64pc of the total) had a reduction in grazing pressure as the method to protect or regenerate vegetation. 16.9 million hectares (or 39pc of all agricultural land with reduced grazing pressure) was in Queensland. Weed management was undertaken on around 14.7 million hectares, with just under 3 million hectares being managed in New South Wales, and around 2.7 million hectares in the Northern Territory (20pc and 18pc respectively). Fencing off or excluding stock was undertaken on around 3.8 million hectares of agricultural land in Australia, with around a third being undertaken in Western Australia.

• Based upon land area, the main purposes for re-vegetation of land were livestock production (54pc), environmental purposes (44pc) and plantation for harvest (1pc).

• Approximately 8,200 agricultural businesses (or 6pc of total agricultural businesses) in Australia reported converting land to be used for a different purpose. Of the 1.8 million hectares converted, around 874,000 hectares of pasture were converted to crop (or 48pc of land converted).

• In Australia, approximately 97,300 agricultural businesses (72pc) reported having pasture on their holding, which covered an area of 76.8 million hectares.

• Maintenance of ground cover was reported as the dominant pasture management practice undertaken, with 60.5 million hectares of pasture (or 79pc of the total management practices) being managed in this way. Queensland accounted for 49pc of the maintenance of ground cover total (or 29.7 million hectares), followed by New South Wales with 9.3 million hectares (or 15pc of the maintenance of ground cover total).

• 7.2 million hectares of pasture were improved by introducing grass and/or legumes nationally, which represented 9pc of all pastures managed. Nearly half of pasture improvement occurred in Queensland (with 3.5 million hectares) and nearly a quarter was in New South Wales with 1.6 million hectares.

• 2.1 million hectares of old pasture were removed nationally. 1.4 million hectares of this (or 68pc of the total) was in Queensland.

the full Agricultural Resource Management Practices, Australia, 2011-12 report can be accessed at the ABS website www.abs.gov.au.