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Record crop production: ABARES

The right amount of rain in the right places has helped to drive Australia’s winter crop production higher, according to new estimates

 

Sustained rainfall has propelled Australia’s crop production to new heights as the forecast winter crop harvest was revised even higher, the country’s agricultural bureau says.

With the winter harvest now complete, the final figure for winter crop production is forecast to be 61.9 million tonnes, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) as outlined in its Australian Crop Report: March edition.

The record haul was underpinned by the country’s top grains in wheat (36.3 million tonnes), barley (13.7mt) and canola (6.4mt), which all set new national records for crop production.

The record winter harvest represents a six per cent upward revision from ABARES’ December 2021 estimate.

“Winter crop harvests have smashed our expectations back in December,” says ABARES executive director Dr Jared Greenville.

“Now that the winter crop harvest is complete, the national winter crop production is estimated to reach a record 61.9 million tonnes. This is being supported by record production for wheat, barley and canola.

“It hasn’t all been smooth sailing – the effects of a wet spring and summer have meant that a lot of the grain in New South Wales has been subject to weather damage and a degradation in quality.

With the winter harvest in the books, the projection for summer crops is also favourable, benefiting from the above average rainfall between over the summer that is expected to continue into Autumn.

Projections for the national summer crop indicate production will rise by 64 per cent to 5.3 million tonnes in 2021-22, which will be the fourth highest on record for a summer crop.

Despite record November rainfall which caused loss and inundation of some early sown summer crops, the favourable conditions in key growing states such as Queensland and New South Wales will be beneficial and could result in further record yields.  

Total planting area sown for summer crops has also increased by 48 per cent to 1.5 million hectares and sits 35 per cent about the rolling ten-year average. Dam storage levels have also increased the plantings for irrigated cotton and rice.

“It’s also been an extraordinary season for summer crops in Queensland and northern New South Wales. We’ve had well above average rainfall during late spring and summer to support production prospects,” Greenville says.

“For the year ahead, there is a lot to be optimistic about. According to the latest three-month rainfall outlook (March to May), issued by the Bureau of Meteorology in February, rainfall during autumn is more likely to be above average in most cropping regions.

“While we know that La Niña can’t last, we can still expect good autumn rains to finish off the summer crops and support winter crop plantings in 2022–23.”

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