Cropping

CROPPING

Cropping Overview

The estimated combined GVP of NSW broadacre cropping industries was $6,846 million, up 28% year-on-year and 37% over 3 years. Wheat was the main contributor to year-on-year growth, with record yields generating the largest crop on record, whilst a massive increase in chickpea planted area and price resulted in an increase of 624% in pulse GVP over 3 years.

The winter months resulted in the majority of NSW receiving anywhere from 150 to 300% of the median rainfall for this period. This exceptional rainfall contributed to high winter cereal, oilseed and pulse production.

Whilst the rainfall over winter hindered the efforts of some farmers to prepare paddocks prior to spring sowing, particularly in the southern region, it helped fill storages for irrigators and boosted water allocations. Periods of extreme heat over the summer months had an impact on sorghum and cotton yield and quality, in particular those cotton crops that were non-irrigated or speculative crops that did not have a full season’s irrigation allowance.

ESTIMATED COMBINED GVP OF BROADACRE CROPPING INDUSTRIES $6,846m

28%
year-on-year

37%
over 3 years

GVP AND CONTRIBUTION TO TOTAL STRATEGIC PLAN GROWTH

NSW DPI is a major Australian research and development provider in chickpeas, durum and rice crop breeding programs, and canola pre-breeding programs.

Key Cropping Outcomes

NSW DPI crop research

In 2016-17 the newest durum variety developed by NSW DPI as part of Durum Breeding Australia (DBA), DBA Lillaroi was grown over approximately 10,000 hectares. DBA Lillaroi produced similar yields to DBA Caparoi (2011), with up to 0.4% higher protein, achieving higher rates of DR1 grade grain, delivering a premium of approximately $50/tonne.

The leading chickpea varieties sown in NSW were developed by NSW DPI in collaboration with GRDC as part of Pulse Breeding Australia, to boost chickpea productivity by increasing yield, quality and disease resistance. In 2017, the predominantly sown varieties were the southern adapted PBA Hat Trick which was released in 2009, and the northern adapted PBA Seamer, released in 2016. The varieties have potential to increase chickpea crop yields between 2% and 4% on average.

PBA Seamer has been bred with the highest Ascochyta resistance to any Australian desi chickpea variety, with a potential $56/ha increase in gross margin assuming resistance is maintained.

Of the rice varieties grown in Australia, 95% were developed at NSW DPI Yanco Agricultural Institute, home to Australia’s only rice breeding program. Over 20 years, rice growers have improved water use efficiency to use 50% less water than the global average while producing above average yields.

The NSW DPI rice breeding program has recently developed a medium grain rice variety targeting the Middle East and Japan export markets. The variety requires a shorter growing season, increases water use efficiency by around 10% and has greater cold tolerance.

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Download the full publication which profiles the key drivers and provides statistics across a number of key primary industry sectors. Analysis of key factors for each industry will detail the impact on the GVP performance for each industry.

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