Browse Data and Analysis

Health, wellness, and the environment continue to be key purchasing factors for Australian consumers. Portion sizes are increasingly important as consumers want quality over quantity, and they expect packaging to be informative and environmentally responsible.

Milk production in Australia in 2022 is forecast to decrease by over four percent to 8.6 million metric tons (MMT). Despite generally good production conditions for 2022, the slump in milk production is largely due farmers continuing to exit the dairy industry through farm sales and some dairy farms partially or fully transitioning to less labor-intensive beef cattle production.

Australia is expected to produce another big grain crop in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 after a record setting winter crop and strong summer crop production in MY 2021/22. Another favorable set of conditions around the time of winter grain planting across most production regions of Australia bodes well for another big planted area of wheat and barley for MY 2022/23.

Australia’s sugar production is forecast to increase to 4.45 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2022/23, from an estimated 4.12 MMT in MY 2021/22. This increase is due to an expected rise in sugar cane crush to 32 MMT in MY 2022/23, from an estimate of 30.1 MMT in the previous year.

For marketing year (MY) 2022/23 Post projects continued expansion of soybean planted acreage to 1.225 million hectares (HA) and production of 2.8 million metric tons (MMT).

In marketing year (MY) 2022/2023 Post forecasts Uruguay to increase its wheat area somewhat, but production and exports would be marginally lower than in the past two marketing years due lower expected yield.

Australian oilseed production, dominated by canola, is expected to be strong again in marketing year (MY) 2022/23, after big crops in MY 2021/22. Canola production is forecast in MY 2022/23 at 4.7 million metric tons (MMT), down from the record-busting crop estimated at 6.35 MMT in MY 2021/22, but if realized would still be the second largest crop in history.

Australia and India have signed a new trade agreement, the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI ECTA). More than 85 per cent of Australian goods exports will have tariffs eliminated.

Cotton production in Australia is primed to set a new record of 6 million bales in MY 2022/23, after a bumper harvest estimate of 5.5 million bales in MY 2021/22. This forecast is due to the strong prospect of increased irrigation water availability at the start of planting in October 2022 along with current high cotton prices and strong futures prices.

Australia has proven to be an appealing and profitable market for U.S. companies for many years. Apart from an extremely strict quarantine regime, it offers few barriers to entry, a familiar legal and corporate framework, and a sophisticated, straightforward business culture.

In 2022, the Australia beef industry is set to continue its herd rebuilding phase which began in 2021. As the herd numbers have begun to recover, overall cattle slaughter is expected to rise from the 50-year low of last year.

Australia is set for a second consecutive record grain crop following two years of drought. For the winter crops, wheat production is estimated to have reached another record in marketing year (MY) 2021/22 and barley production is expected to be the third largest in history, just slightly behind the previous year.