Fewer dollars for farmers next year

Farmers will have less cash in their pockets from exporting their goods next financial year.

But they will still have more than they've had in the past decade.

There will be a six per cent drop in farm export earnings in 2014-15, with earnings set to drop to $38.5 billion from this year's $41 billion, the government's agricultural commodity forecaster ABARES says.

That's because there will be less to send offshore - with farm production to fall by four per cent next year.

Production of barley, canola, beef and veal, rice and horticulture, are all set to drop.

But the earnings will still be above the 10-year average.

ABARES says it will still be about nine per cent above the average of $35.5 billion over the 10 years to 2012-13 in real terms.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce was keeping positive by spruiking the benefits of the Korea-Australia free trade agreement, which is expected to come into effect in 2015.

Beef and cheese exports will be boosted under the trade deal, he said.

There's better news for farmers exporting sugar, live cattle, and live sheep - all set to rise next year.