This description provides an overview of Australia's position as the world's largest exporter of wool. It highlights the importance of wool to the Australian economy and the role it plays in the global wool trade. It also looks at the history of wool production in Australia and the challenges the industry faces in
Although Australia is mostly arid, the nation is a major agricultural producer and exporter, with around 421,000 people employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing as of 2023. Agriculture's farm gate output was $100 billion per year for a 5.7% share of GDP in 2023. Farmers and grazers own 135,997 farms, covering 61% of Australia's landmass. Across the country, there is a mix of irrigation and dry-land farming. The success of Australian agriculture has been facilitated by long-term policy settings and promotion of reforms that greatly increase investment and, by extension, overall farming output.