China And India Help Swell State Export Earnings To $11bn.

The 38 per cent, $3 billion increase on the previous 12 months to May was driven by wheat (up 251 per cent), copper (up 110 per cent) and metal ores and scrap (up 59 per cent).

Exports into China increased by 85 per cent and into India by 63 per cent, which provided a $1.3 billion increase on the previous year.

SA Farmers Federation president Peter White said a record 10.2 million tonne grain harvest, worth $3.5 billion, was the industry's best ever season - aided by ideal weather conditions and competitive prices for grain.

Mr White said that despite the result, the industry was still unhappy with the State Government's decision to cut

back funding for research and development.

"This (the record harvest) highlights how very important the agricultural and grain industry is to the state," he said.

"However, we have seen the Government actually slash $35 million to the primary industry."

Grain exports were worth $1.06 billion, with metal ores and scrap bringing in $706 million to the state.

Copper exports were valued at $673 million despite copper prices increasing just 2.9 per cent between May 2010 and May 2011 from $8138 a tonne to $8372 a tonne.

Industry and Trade Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the results were very encouraging for the state as exports continued to diversify.

He said exporters were operating in tough conditions, including a high Australian dollar consistently above parity.

"South Australia and the nation is slowly regaining the ground lost when the global financial crisis hit and caused exports and overseas markets to melt down," he said.

He said the Government's targeted export programs to the growing economies of China and India had proved that trade offices in those countries were doing "an outstanding job".

"These are the same trade offices the Opposition has stated we should abandon."

However, Opposition Industry and Trade spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith said those claims were completely untrue and called on Mr Koutsantonis to prove the allegations.

"Exports have barely improved since 2002 in real dollar value terms.

"All they (the Government) have done is failed to keep place with inflation," he said.

"It is a dismal and paltry result."

Source : adelaidenow.com.au