West Australian winter grain harvest starts slowly

 

 

Rain has dogged the early stages of an annual harvest of winter grains including wheat in Western Australia leading to some weather and hail damage, according to a monthly seasonal update issued late Friday (Dec 4) by the state's Department of Agriculture and Food.

 

Rainfall across the state and especially in the central and southern agricultural areas was well above average in November. This is compounding the effects of the dry finish to the growing season, suggesting there could be a high level of undersize and light grain from wheat and barley crops, it said.

 

In the state's northern wheat belt, protein levels in wheat have been "variable but generally disappointing," with some mature grain already sprouting due to the rain in some areas, it added.

 

Early reports for canola indicate that yields are lower than anticipated through the northern and central wheat belt, the department said.

 

The harvest is mostly completed by year end.

 

The department didn't change its production forecast, which was downgraded a month ago in line with a less than favourable finish to the season during October.

 

Total winter crop production was estimated at 11.5 million to 12.5 million tonnes, compared with an actual 12.3 million tonnes last crop year ended March 31, 2009.

 

Wheat production was forecast at eight million to nine million tonnes, while barley output was pegged at 2.2 million tonnes and canola at 800,000 tonnes.

 

Nearly all the grain produced in the state is available for export, making the state a major global supplier.

 

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics will update its forecasts in a crop report due Tuesday (Dec 8).