June 16, 2010
Australian 2010-11 wheat production forecast to increase
Australian wheat production is expected to rise to 22.1 million tonnes in 2010-11, up 2% from 2009-10 assuming average yields, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) said in a report today (June 16).
At the same time, the area planted to wheat is forecast to drop by 2% to 13.5 million hectares.
The opening of the winter cropping season in the eastern states of Australia is one of the best for several years, said Paul Morris, ABARE's deputy executive director on the release of the June edition of the Australian crop report. Morris, however, said crop plantings are expected to be down slightly due to lower wheat and barley prices.
The total area of winter crops sown in Australia is forecast to fall by around 1% to 22.1 million hectares in 2010-11. Winter crop production is seen at 35.1 million tonnes in 2010-11, largely unchanged from the 35.2 million tonnes produced last season.
In addition, the bureau forecasts barley plantings to fall 9% to 4.1 million hectares. Production is forecast to decline to 7.3 million tonnes, down 10% assuming average yields.
