WA agricultural exports hit record $6bn

Growing demand for Western Australia's agricultural commodities from Asia and the Middle East has boosted exports to a new record of $6 billion for 2008/09.

Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said today that exports grew by 28 per cent on last year's agriculture exports of $4.7 billion.

He said the Middle East was a key growth market last financial year, with export values rising by 19 per cent to a record $1.6 billion.

Out of the Middle East countries, Iran was the top buyer of WA's agricultural products, spending $465 million.

Overall, Iran was WA's fourth largest export customer, with China coming in third with a spend of $686 million while Japan was the state's second largest customer with $748 million.

Indonesia was the state's largest agricultural export customer, spending $931 million in 2008/09, with the bulk of the money going to grain, cattle and meat.

Wheat was WA's biggest export, reaping in $2.7 billion for the state, followed by canola ($535 million), livestock ($487 million), meat ($464 million) and wool ($418 million).

"Up to 90 per cent of what we produce annually is exported and these figures show that the world is keen to buy more and more of the food and crops that we produce," Mr Redman said.

"WA has less than 10 per cent of Australia's farms, but we produce nearly 20 per cent of Australia's total agriculture and food exports."