September 24, 2008

Rains to boost wheat yields in Western Australia

Rainfall forecast in the coming days in Western Australia could "add tonnes" to winter crop harvests including wheat, but damage from frost on Monday could limit production gains, Michael Musgrave, operations manager at logistics concern Cooperative Bulk Handling Ltd., said Wednesday ( September 24, 2008). 

CBH's forecast for total winter grains in Western Australia - potentially a major global supplier of traded wheat - is a range 9 million to 11 million tonnes, but rain would boost output to the upper end of this, he said.

Typically, wheat accounts for 70 percent of winter grains in the state, suggesting CBH is forecasting wheat production in a range of 6.3 million to 7.7 million tonnes from the crop to be harvested by year end. Other crops include barley, oats and canola.

On Monday, the federal government's chief commodities forecaster, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, estimated wheat production in the state at 8.3 million tonnes, or more than a third of estimated national output of 22.5 million tonnes.

All wheat lands in Western Australia have received some rains in the past week with most districts receiving at least 5 millimeters, according to data from the government’s Bureau of Meteorology.

Musgrave said the extent of the frost damage is unknown at this point.

Growers in the state's far north wheat belt had notified CBH they would have been starting harvest about now but last weekend’s rain would delay this for 10 days.