June 16, 2008

Australian rapeseed production will rebound 55 percent this year to 1.66 million tonnes from a drought-affected crop of 1.07 million tonnes in 2007, the Australian Oilseeds Federation forecast Monday (June 16, 2008).

Growers will sow an estimated 1.24 million hectares to rapeseed this year, expanding from 1.07 million hectares last year, the federation forecast in a monthly crop report.

Output is projected to rebound in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia this year after drought hit many crops last year, it said.

Rapeseed is typically sown in May or June and harvested late in the year. Most production is exported.

The forecast is higher than the 1.43 million tons projected in early March by the government's Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, which is scheduled to update its production and planting estimates for new winter crops Tuesday at 0000 GMT.