Livestock Production Although crop production is important in the MDB’s agriculture, it occupies only a small proportion of the area of land in farms. Most of the agricultural land is devoted to grazing supporting large livestock industries.

There are more sheep in Australia than any other country in the world. Sheep are grazed in a wide range of climatic and environmental conditions. Most sheep are located along the sheep–wheat belt in conduction with cropping and also often beef cattle. The sheep are produce primarily for their wool and meat.

Within the Murray-Darling Basin there is production of both Dairy and Beef cattle.

There are three main dairying areas in the Basin. The Darling Downs and South Australian Lower Murray are primary concerned with the fresh milk market, supplying Brisbane and Adelaide. The Riverine Plains of northern Victoria and some of the adjoining areas of NSW are irrigated pastures areas for producing milk for manufacturing. The Basin’s dairy industry is the major livestock activity dependent on irrigation.

Beef Cattle are used for meat as well as other commodities such as hides and leather. Beef is Australia’s largest single rural export and like sheep beef cattle are grazed under a variety of pastoral and environmental conditions.
The production of pigs was once a sideline to dairying but has become a specialised activity within the MDB. There are over 500 piggeries of significant size in the Basin and some of these are located in Corowa, Albury, Young and Grong Grong.

Poultry production is concerned with chickens, turkeys and ducks. Chickens mainly for their eggs and also meat. Egg production is located close to the low cost feed sources and the major urban areas. Eggs and the production of poultry for meat are generally large-scale, intensive and largely mechanical activities. Tamworth, Griffith, Bendigo and Murray Bridge are where some of the major production activities are located.

Content sourced from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission Resources Book by Peter Crab Photo by Eastern Hills & Murray Plains Catchment Group Inc.