“Average to above average rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland in late 2008 provided crops with good sub-soil moisture to draw on during the growing season,” said Phillip Glyde, Executive Director, ABARE on releasing the report.

Grain sorghum yields are expected to be above longer term averages, but lower than the record achieved last year, Mr Glyde noted. Grain sorghum production is forecast to be 2.1 million tonnes in 2008-09. This compares with the record 3.1 million tonnes harvested in the previous year and an average of 1.7 million tonnes in the five years ending 2006-07.

Total summer crop production is forecast to be 3.3 million tonnes in 2008-09, slightly higher than ABARE’s December 2008 forecast, but lower than the 3.9 million tonnes harvested in the previous year.

Total rice production is forecast to be 75 000 tonnes, nearly four times more than the 2007-08 crop. Despite the increase, production is low in historical terms, as the availability of irrigation water limited the area planted to rice.

“Reflecting an improvement in key water storage levels, the area planted to cotton in 2008-09 more than doubled last year, although this is still low in historical terms,” Mr Glyde said.

Australian cotton lint and cottonseed production in 2008-09 are forecast to be more than double the harvest in 2007-08.

Harvesting of 2008-09 winter crops has been completed. Total production is estimated at around 33 million tonnes, around 10 million tonnes more than the previous season and around 2 million tonnes higher than ABARE’s December estimate. Of the major winter grains, wheat production is estimated at around 21.4 million tonnes, barley production at 6.8 million tonnes and canola at 1.6 million tonnes.

Also released on the ABARE website today is Australian wheat supply and exports monthly, drawing on new ABS survey data released on Tuesday 10 February.