Beef, dairy export earnings to drop

Cattle farmers shouldn't expect to earn more for their beef exports next year.

While strong cattle prices are expected to continue, beef export earnings are forecast to drop by 12 per cent.

Unsurprisingly, dairy farmers will also be hit - earnings for dairy product exports are also set to slump by one per cent, the federal government's agricultural research agency ABARES says.

However, farmers overall are set to see a modest increase to the value of their harvest in 2016-17.

At $58.4 billion, that's 13 per cent higher than the average value for the past five years.

It's thanks to a hike in the value of horticulture, cotton and oilseed production.