dry conditions slash crop forecasts

Dry conditions slash crop forecasts
June 20, 2006

DRY conditions will slash Australia's winter crop production, shaving four million tonnes off the next harvest, forecasts suggest.
The Government's forecaster, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), said a dry autumn in most grain growing states would cut winter crop production 11 per cent in 2006-07.

ABARE is now predicting a haul of 36 million tonnes, compared with more than 40 million the previous season.

Wheat production is expected to drop 9 per cent to 22.8 million tonnes, and ABARE has also lowered its forecasts for barley and canola.

Cropping areas recorded poor rainfall throughout autumn, with South Australia the only exception.

The forecast of a 36 million tonne winter crop harvest reflected a return to average yields, ABARE said, with last season's haul being the second highest on record.
The drought is expected to cut the area sown to winter crops by 6 per cent to 20 million hectares.

Barley and canola will also record reduced plantings and yields, with production tipped to be 8.5 million tonnes and 1.4 million tonnes respectively.

The states worst affected by drought, New South Wales and Queensland, are expected to record big falls in winter crop product.

ABARE expects production in Queensland to drop 20 per cent on the previous season, while NSW will be down 14 per cent.

The winter crop in Western Australia – the nation's biggest producer of wheat – is forecast to drop 13 per cent.

Victorian production is tipped to fall 5 per cent, while South Australia is likely to drop 1 per cent.

Australia's summer crop harvest, now complete, is estimated to have increased 15 per cent to 4.5 million tonnes for 2005-06, boosted by a threefold increase in rice production.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19529127-1702,00.html