Livestock & animals

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development supply chain support, research and development and rigorous biosecurity systems underpin the economic success of Western Australia’s livestock industries. In 2011/12, the WA livestock industries contributed 26% of the state’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry production, worth approximately $2 billion at the farm gate.

WA is a world leader in live exports, super fine wool production and dryland sheep and grain systems. Both cattle and sheep systems are focused on export markets to Asia and the Middle East. WA also has innovative, world-class integrated dairy and pork industries meeting local and South East Asian demand for safe, fresh milk and pork. The WA poultry industry is growing strongly as a result of increasing domestic consumption.

Global demand for high-quality, safe animal protein and products produced according to high animal welfare standards will continue to rise in coming years. Increasingly DAFWA will partner with industry -- locally, nationally and internationally -- in transformational business projects to capitalise on this demand.

Articles

  • Western Australian agriculture experiences variability in its winter growing season (May–October): late starts, early finishes and 'dry seasons' with rainfall low enough to cause serious plant and

  • The aim of carbon farming is to sequester more carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as part of Australia's response to climate change.

  • Each year the Federal Government estimates the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and reports by sector via the National GHG Inventory.

  • Farming systems produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, primarily in the form of methane (mostly caused by animal digestion and respiration) and nitrous oxide (mostly from fertilisers).

  • All agricultural industries in Western Australia will need to deal with some level of climate change in the coming decades. The effects of climate change will vary regionally and by enterprise, wit