September 1, 2006

Cattle numbers in Queensland, Australia rise despite drought

Cattle numbers in the state of Queensland in Australia are rising despite drought conditions.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, there were 11.4 million cattle in the state in 2005.

Spokesman Nigel Gibson says beef remains the dominant agricultural activity in the state, with 12,000 out of 27,000 farms rearing cattle.

More than 80 percent of the state's land mass is used for agricultural purposes and agriculture contributes US$7.7 billion to Queensland's economy.