Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

How Much of Australian Agricultural Production is Exported?

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Hi Jennifer,

 

This article disputing the percentage of Australian agricultural produce that is exported appeared on Agmates at the end of August. 

 

I feel it should have a wider airing, especially if we have all been misled about this subject. 

 

http://www.agmates.com/blog/2008/08/29/myth-busted-australia-exports-just-22-of-ag-production-not-80/

 

The link to the original article is here

 

http://www.agmates.com/blog/2008/01/01/report-into-ag-production-export-discrepancies/

 

You may like to consider it as a blog topic. 

 

Cheers, Helen

 

PS And I grabbed this from one of the links:

 

At the end of the Customs House Meeting, the committee had established the facts, and the subsequent agreement of proceedings became known as the Customs House Agreement.

 

 

The Customs House Agreement

  • It is unequivocally agreed that for the year 93/94 that only 22% of farm gate value is directly exported from Australia.
  • It is agreed that direct exports, together with the first round total of indirect exports, roughly account for 25% or an additional three percentage points,
  • All agreed that those who propose the higher figures like 80% are simply wrong,
  • ABS agreed that 66% was questionable and problematic ,and
  • ABS would not arrive at 66% figures using accepted methods,
  • Only 7 of 53 sectors exported more than 50% of output,
  • All agreed the real proportion of exports as shown by Dr McGovern was well known for some time,
  • Figures such as 80% use FOB values to compare with farm gate values,
  • Some calculations have led to double counting or have included inappropriate components which have distorted outcomes,
  • Errors occur when comparing value added items like biscuits in a container on board ship with wheat at farm gate or perhaps a bottle of wine on board ship with the value of grapes at farm gate,
  • In some cases inappropriate basis are used eg. the value of spraying or shearing being added to exports of wool, grain or cotton,
  • Other examples of double counting occur when such things as sausages consumed by coal and steel miners in their respective industries are classified as exported agricultural production.

All these definitional and methodological anomalies distort real farm gate values. Some extreme methods of calculation have arrived at up to 200% of farm gate value exported.