Kulin farmers go against the grain and produce ‘highest total production’ in Australia in 2023-24

Kulin farmers were the shining light of a disappointing cropping year in 2023-24, with new figures showing the region achieved the highest total grain production in Australia. Data recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed more than 2.3 million tonnes were produced by farmers in the Kulin region that year. The area was also the leading national producer of barley. Esperance farmers also produced a favourable crop despite a dry year, with that region cementing itself as the biggest wheat and canola-producing region in Australia. More than 1Mt of wheat and 464,000t of canola produced was produced in the Esperance region in 2023-24. While nationally significant, the Esperance wheat crop was still 25 per cent lower than 2022-23. ABS head of agriculture statistics Rob Walter said 2023-24 had been a challenging year for farmers on the back of “one of the best seasons on record” the year prior. “The drier conditions across large parts of Australia led to 27 per cent less winter broadacre crop production being sold nationally, and generally lower yields,” he said. “This drop in production sold drove a 29 per cent drop in value to $18.7 billion.” The nation’s winter broadacre crop production sold in 2023-24 fell to 50Mt, after one of the best seasons on record in 2022-23 when 78.6Mt of winter crop was sold. Nationally, 28Mt of wheat was sold, down 13.2Mt on the year prior. Wheat, barley and canola remain the three largest crops in terms of local value, combining to account for $16.5 billion or 88 per cent of total winter crop local value for production sold. WA produced the largest amount of levied wheat with 8.5 million tonnes sold, 6.2 million tonnes less than in 2022-23. Six of the top 10 wheat-producing areas in Australia were in WA in 2023-24, with Esperance followed by Morawa, Kulin, Northampton, Moora and Dowerin. Seven of the top 10 regions for canola production sold were in WA, with Esperance followed by Gnowangerup, Kulin, Morawa, Kojonup, Wagin, and Moora. WA also laid claim to five of the top 10 regions for barely production, at Kulin, Esperance, Gnowangerup, Brookton, and Wagin. The ABS will release its statistics on the 2023-24 summer broadacre crops in May this year, followed by livestock and horticulture statistics in June 2025. Winter crops covered 20.5 million hectares, 13 per cent less than in 2022-23.

Kulin farmers go against the grain and produce ‘highest total production’ in Australia in 2023-24

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