Browse Data and Analysis

Orange production is expected to decline in Australia in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 to 505,000 metric tons (MT) from an estimated 535,000 MT in MY 2021/22. However, exports are forecast to rise to 180,000 MT from an estimated 145,000 MT in MY 2021/22, due to an anticipated substantial improvement in fruit quality.

Ethanol consumption in Australia is forecast to remain stable in 2022 at only 1.1 percent of the gasoline pool, and biodiesel is forecast to increase moderately from very low levels but remain at less than 0.1 percent of the total diesel pool. Australia has very large feedstock (grains and molasses) supplies for bioethanol as well as robust supplies of feedstock (canola, tallow and used cooked oil) for biodiesel production.

In July 2021, authorities detected African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Dominican Republic (DR). The disease, which rapidly spread throughout the country, crippled local swine production, but boosted export opportunities for U.S. swine meat producers to the Dominican market.

The Dominican Republic continues to be a strong market for U.S. bulk agricultural products (e.g., corn), intermediate goods (e.g., Soybean meal), and high value consumer-oriented products (e.g., processed food products), reaching a total export value of $1.59 billion in 2021.

The Australian federal government is supportive of biotechnology and has committed considerable long-term funding to research and development. The Australian Productivity Commission recently completed an inquiry into the regulatory burden on farm businesses focusing on regulations that have a material impact on the competitiveness and productivity of Australian agriculture, including the impact of regulations for genetically engineered (GE) products.

Australia is a prosperous and industrialized nation with a stable economy. Underpinning Australia's strong economy is its open and transparent trade and investment environment, and trade and economic links with emerging economies, particularly in Asia. The U.S. - Australia Free Trade Agreement provides some advantages for U.S. products, which are well regarded as high quality and good value. The United States accounted for US$1.6 billion or nine percent of Australia’s total food and agriculture related imports in 2021.

The Dominican Republic (DR) continues to ban and/or restrict U.S. poultry exports from states with any type of detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), regardless of the outbreak being reported as poultry or non-poultry.

Milk production in 2023 in Australia is forecast to decline by another two percent to 8.4 million metric tons (MMT), after an estimated six percent fall in 2022 to 8.55 MMT. This decline is expected despite a big increase in farm gate milk prices for 2022/23 to far exceed the previous record, and overall good seasonal production conditions for dairy farmers leading into the forecast year.

The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) on October 31, 2022 completed and published the risk analysis for fresh apples (Malus domestica) from the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and Idaho). In the report, DAFF recommended that the import of commercially produced fresh apples from the Pacific Northwest be permitted provided they meet the biosecurity import conditions.

Australia is on the path to a third consecutive bumper grain crop in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 after a record setting winter crop and strong summer crop production in MY 2021/22. After another strong start to the planting season followed up by great rainfalls, there is ample moisture to carry the wheat and barley crops through the grain fill stage.

Although exports of poultry to the Dominican Republic are on pace to set historic records in 2022, the United States continues to lose export market share from Brazil. As of June, 2022, the United States has accounted for 56 percent (22,074 MT) of total poultry exports to the DR (64,392 MT); Brazil has accounted for 44 percent (17,429 MT) of those exports after only accounting for 25 percent in 2021 and 0 percent in 2020 and prior.

For Marketing Year October 2022/September 2023 (MY 2022/23), Post forecasts overall sugar production in the Dominican Republic (DR) to increase to 630,000 metric tons (MT) due to favorable weather conditions. During MY 2021/22, total sugar production reached 625,391 MT, a 2 percent increase from MY 2020/21 due to favorable rainfall patterns that improved agricultural yields.