AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN AUSTRALIA

Agriculture is one of the most significant industries in Australia, both in terms of domestic
production and exports. Through the production of a wide range of primary products such as
wheat, milk, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and meat, the sector contributes to an important share of
the country’s GDP. The major export commodities in this sector include beef, wheat, wine,
wool, and lamb.

Australia's key agricultural products

Crop production in Australia is vital in providing food for its local population and livestock feed.
Australia supplies a wide variety of cereals, sugar, and fruit to the rest of the world. Crops
include cereals, grains, and legumes among others. Wheat accounts for the greatest
contribution to the production value of cereals but requires a large land area. The yield of
wheat in Australia has fluctuated around two metric tons per hectare.
The beef industry is the most significant for Australia in terms of animal products. The nation is
one of the leading beef exporters in the world, a position that looks likely to remain as the
country continues to export the majority of its red meat. Conversely, Australians’ per capita
consumption of beef and veal has declined compared to previous years. Following global
trends, consumer preferences have shifted towards fish and poultry products.
The dairy industry in Australia is heavily influenced by international markets, trends, and
events, primarily because it is a deregulated, open market. Although most of the dairy products
produced in Australia are consumed locally, Australia is a key exporter of dairy, particularly to
China and Japan. Thousands of Australians are employed directly through dairy farms or dairy
companies. Furthermore, the subsequent processing of dairy products provides even more
employment opportunities.
What affects this industry?
Australia contends with of a range of environmental factors that affect its agriculture industry.
The 2020 bushfire season was particularly damaging, with millions of hectares of agricultural
land affected. As with many sectors, the agricultural industry relies on water availability.
Australia’s consumption of water in this sector was almost eight million megaliters in 2019.
Pasture, cereal, and grazing crops require significant volumes of water, most of which is
distributed through irrigation channels or pipelines. With water scarcity and extreme weather
already taking a toll on Australian agriculture, farmers may have to innovate and include
emerging digital agriculture technology into their practices. Part of the nation’s industrial digital
transformation, this so-called “AgTech” could provide tools and data to make more informed
decisions and may lead to solutions to ensure growth in this industry in the future.
 PHILIPPINES AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
The Philippines is primarily an agricultural country with a large portion of Filipinos living in rural
areas and supporting themselves through agricultural activities. Recent figures suggest that
about a quarter of employed Filipinos work in the agricultural sector which is made up of four
sub-sectors: farming, fisheries, livestock, and forestry. In 2021, the sector generated a gross
value added (GVA) of about 1.76 trillion Philippine pesos, equivalent to a 9.6 percent share of
the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). However, as a result of the prolonged lockdown
imposed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, along with the natural calamities that
occurred in the country, the sector’s gross output contracted by 1.7 percent in that year.

Key agricultural subsectors

Due to its terrain and tropical climate condition, farming and fisheries have been the largest
agricultural sub-sectors in the Philippines. Crop production, particularly of sugarcane, palay or
rice, coconut, and bananas were among the highest nationwide and were also among the top
export products. In recent years, fruits and nuts, along with animal or vegetable fats and oils
contributed the largest share of the total agricultural exports of the country. In terms of
livestock, hog, cattle, and goat were the country’s major products while chicken and duck were
the leading poultry products.
On the other hand, the fisheries sector, which is composed of three subsectors: commercial,
municipal, and aquaculture, reflected slow growth in recent years. The export value of principal
fishery products from the country had also been declining since 2019 as the volume of
production fluctuated. Among the main contributing factors were climate change and the
practice of uncontrolled and unsustainable overfishing.
Challenges in the agriculture sector
The slow growth of the agricultural sector in the Philippines had been attributed to the rampant
conversion of arable lands to residential subdivisions, industrial parks, and resorts. Of the 30
million hectares of land area, only one-third is used for agricultural activities. On top of that, the
country’s geographical location makes it volatile to natural disasters such as flooding and
drought, further contributing to the decrease in production. Investments in technology and
innovation are necessary steps to diversify and transform the country’s agricultural output,
along with increased production support and improved policies that prioritize the needs of
farmers.
REFERENCE :
https://www.statista.com/topics/5744/agriculture-industry-in-the-philippines/
https://farmersfootprint.org.au/?gclid
https://au.prosple.com/career-planning/agriculture-in-australia-an-overview
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Australian-agriculture/