West Australia govt upgrades 2009-10 winter grain crop forecast

An official forecast for the production of winter grains including wheat in Western Australia during this crop year was upgraded Tuesday following average to slightly above average rainfall in September across most of the state's wheatbelt.

The total production of winter grains in the state is now forecast in a range between 12.5 million tonnes and 14 million tonnes, versus 11 million-13 million tonnes a month ago, according to a monthly seasonal update issued by the government's Department of Food and Agriculture.

New crop wheat production is forecast in a nine million-10.5 million tonnes range, up from last month's estimate of 7.5 million-nine million tonnes.

"Cool conditions and no frost for the next two to four weeks could see the upper end of the forecast being reached," the department said in the update.

Nearly all the wheat produced in the state is available for export, making it a major supplier to the global trade.