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How many farm operators, preferably by # acres range, are in Australia (plants and/or livestock)?
Our research identified 85,681 farm businesses in Australia. The total amount of land dedicated to farming in Australia is 849,125,751 acres. Below, I will provide more information about agricultural businesses in Australia, including the number of farm operators and an overview of agricultural land use.
NUMBER OF FARM OPERATORS
According to a report published by the National Farmers Federation of Australia, there are approximately 85,681 farm businesses in Australia. This total is based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). According to an official ABS report, there were 952 more agricultural businesses in Australia in June 2016, than the prior year, representing a 1.1% increase from the reporting period 2014-15. The scope of the ABS report was all agricultural businesses with an Estimated Value of Agricultural Operations (EVAO) of $40,000 AUD or greater.
AGRICULTURAL LAND IN AUSTRALIA
48% of Australia's total land was used by agricultural business operations during 2015-16. Land use in Australia is tracked by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Per an official ABS report, there were 371 million hectares of land utilized for agricultural purposes in Australia, as of June 30, 2016, representing an increase of 1.4% from the prior year. However, not all agricultural land was used for farming purposes. The total land use for agricultural production was 343.6 million hectares. For our report, hectares were converted to acres. Utilizing ABS data, we determined the total amount of land dedicated to farming in Australia as of June 30, 2016, is 849,125,751 acres.
Of this total amount, 30.3 million hectares, or 75 million acres of agricultural land was used for crops, while 312.2 million hectares or 771.4 million acres was used for grazing. According to the ABS report, the largest area of grazing land is found in Queensland, where 116.6 million hectares or 288.1 million acres of land was used for grazing purposes in 2015-16.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, as of June 30, 2016, there are approximately 85,681 farm businesses in Australia, operating within an area of 849,125,751 acres, or 48% of Australia's total land. Our findings were based on the most recent data available.