Australia 2010-11 wheat crop seen to increase by 0.9%

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (Abare) has issued production estimates for the 2010-11 crops of wheat and barley, forecasting output will be little different from this crop year ending March 31.

Wheat production in 2010-11 is forecast to rise 0.9% on-year to 21.9 million tonnes from 21.7 million tonnes in 2009-10, while 2010-11 barley output will rise 1.3% to 8.0 million tonnes, Abare forecast in its quarterly outlook publication, issued in conjunction with the bureau's annual conference and which contains forecasts through 2015.

Exports of wheat from Australia, usually a major global supplier, are forecast for next fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, at 13.9 million tonnes valued at A$3.84 billion (US$3.42 billion) compared with exports this fiscal year of 13.9 million tonnes valued at A$3.99 billion (US$3.55 billion).

Australian canola production is forecast to fall 16% on year in the 2010-11 crop year to 1.61 million tonnes. Forecast canola exports in 2010-11 of 1.01 million tonnes valued at A$478 million (US$426 million) compare with estimated canola exports in 2009-10 of 1.24 million tonnes at A$564 million (US$502 million).

In the 2014-15 crop year, production in Australia of wheat is forecast at 25.0 million tonnes, along with 8.6 million tonnes of barley and 1.89 million tonnes of canola.