Australia cuts 2009-10 sorghum crop to 1.85 million tonnes

An official forecast of Australia 2009-10 sorghum crop was revised downward Tuesday to 1.85 million tonnes from a June estimate of 1.94 million tonnes, sharply lower than actual output of 2.32 million tonnes in 2008-09.

Below-average to far-below-average winter rainfall in key growing regions in northern New South Wales and Queensland is forecast to result in a contraction of grain sorghum plantings, the government chief commodities forecaster, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics reported in its latest Crop Report.

New sorghum crop plantings are estimated at 662,000 hectares, down from a June estimate of 728,000 hectares and down from actual plantings of 717,000 hectares last crop year ended March 31, 2009.