iGrain India - In its quarterly report for the 2024-25 season, Australia's government organization, ABARES, revised its crop production estimates. The production estimates for wheat and canola were increased, while the estimate for barley was reduced.
Wheat: The wheat production estimate has been raised by 60,000 tonnes to 31.89 million tonnes (318.90 lakh tonnes). This increase was mainly driven by favorable conditions in certain regions, although challenges in other parts, like South Australia, had some impact.
: The canola production estimate was increased by 115,000 tonnes, reaching 5.587 million tonnes (55.87 lakh tonnes), supported by favorable growing conditions in some regions.
Barley: The barley production estimate was reduced by 495,000 tonnes, dropping to 11.665 million tonnes (116.65 lakh tonnes). This reduction was largely due to a significant cut in the estimate for South Australia, where adverse weather conditions hurt crop yields. Specifically, South Australia's barley production estimate was slashed by 470,000 tonnes.
The weather in South Australia was largely unfavorable for winter and spring crops, leading to reduced yields in several crops, including barley, wheat, and canola. In particular, the barley and lentil crops faced significant challenges. Additionally, wheat and canola estimates for South Australia were also revised downwards, with wheat falling by 1.3 million tonnes to 3 million tonnes and canola by 85,000 tonnes to 325,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, other provinces such as New South Wales and Queensland had more favorable weather conditions, contributing positively to crop yields in those areas. However, the dry weather, low rainfall, dense fog, and some snowfall in South Australia and Victoria led to crop damage and reduced quality in certain areas. Despite these challenges, Australia remains a key exporter of wheat, barley, canola, lentils, and chickpeas.
