May 24, 2011

New Zealand wheat harvests impacted by weather

Cold, wet weather has had a severe impact on New Zealand's wheat harvents this season, where wheat volumes are down by a third from last season to 300,000 tonnes, the Foundation for Arable Research said.

The foundation's chief executive, Nick Pyke, said that the last winter was particularly cold and wet, reducing yields for all grain crops sown in the autumn. Pyke said the smaller wheat harvest will create a shortage this year.

He said there are also lower levels of stocks of cereals on hand going into this season's harvest. 11,000 tonnes of feed wheat remain unsold, compared with almost 30,000 tonnes the year before.