2018-19 irrigation water and area down the drain

By Allan Dingle, Farmers' Federation President
Updated June 3 2020 - 9:26am, first published 9:19am
2018-19 irrigation water and area down the drain
2018-19 irrigation water and area down the drain

Water is a critical input for Queensland's agricultural sector, essential to produce world class food, fibre and foliage. However, a recent report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the volume of water used for irrigation was at its lowest level since 2010-11, down 26 per cent to 7.2 million megalitres in 2018-19. Additionally, the total area of crops and pastures irrigated during this time also fell, down 15pc to just under 2 million hectares with Queensland reporting the largest decrease, dropping 22pc to 414,000 hectares, while agricultural businesses purchasing extra water on a temporary basis bought 30pc less than the previous financial year but paid 66pc more.

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