The number of borrowers also increased, from 15,822 to 18,335, up 15.88 per cent. The survey, tabled in the Queensland Parliament by Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner, showed the rating of rural debt had improved since 2011, with 94.41 per cent of the total value of rural debt rated either viable (rating A) or potentially long-term viable (B+), up from 85.89 per cent in 2011. Of the 16 industries captured in the survey, the three major rural debt holding industries included beef, cotton and sugar, which accounted for $11.72 billion, or 67.90 per cent of the total debt, and was in line with the relative size of the industries in Queensland. The report said the industry had suffered through volatile commodity prices, increased climate variability, increased demands from a growing population and limitations on land and water resources since the 2011 period. Mr Furner said the figures demonstrated the resilience of Queensland's farmers, even in times of drought.

He said the Palaszczuk government was providing $10 million for the agricultural sector and supporting rural communities through the Rural Economic Development Grants Program. More than half of Queensland's agricultural product was exported, with the major export markets comprising China, Japan, India, Korea, the United States and Indonesia. Loading Last month, the banking royal commission heard tales of farmers forced off their land as part of hearings held in Brisbane into rural finance. AgForce Queensland policy general manager Dale Miller said it was great to have new information about the level of debt in the state since 2011.

"Given the extended drought that we've been going through I was probably surprised that levels of debt within the beef industry weren't increased. We only saw a couple of per cent increase on those debt levels," he said. Mr Miller said farmers who had missed out on rain would continue to struggle with financial and personal pressures. "Primary producers have been going through this drought for over six years, it's meant that a lot of them have had extended periods of low income and there's challenges with that, they've had to destock animals," he said. "I think once we see rainfall return and people start to rebuild their herds that will put upward pressure on food prices in supermarkets." Mr Miller said AgForce would like governments to look at rate and rent relief and make some income support was appropriate.