victoria

Winter crops in Victoria have been under extreme stress for nearly the entire winter cropping period. The August–October period was the second driest on record for Victoria since 1900. Victoria also recorded the highest maximum temperatures since records began. Crop yields are expected to be below to very much below average in most areas.

Some parts of north west Victoria received no rain in October. Much of eastern Victoria and the south west received much less than the long term average for October. Extreme temperatures were also a feature, with hot days, cold nights and occasional frosts.

Harvest is nearing completion in both the Wimmera and the Mallee. Yield estimates are in the range 0–1 tonne per hectare for cereals and zero for most pulses in the Wimmera. Wheat and barley yields in the Mallee are estimated to be in the range 0.3–1 tonne per hectare; however, the poorer paddocks may not be harvested. For the south west, it is estimated that 50–90 per cent of canola crops and around 50 per cent of cereal crops have been cut for hay and silage.

Early November rainfall delayed harvest and only those producers with surviving pulses were likely to benefit from the patchy rainfall across the cropping zone.

The area sown to winter crops in Victoria is estimated to have declined by 2 per cent in 2006-07 to 2.74 million hectares. However, total winter crop production is estimated to fall by 76 per cent to around 1.4 million tonnes, the lowest in over twenty years.

The area planted to wheat in Victoria is estimated to have fallen by only 2 per cent to around 1.25 million hectares in 2006-07. However, roduction is estimated to fall by 76 per cent to around 650 000 tonnes, reflecting well below average yields.

The area planted to barley in Victoria in 2006-07 is estimated to have been 850 000 hectares, a 9 per cent decline from the previous year. Production is estimated to be 510 000 tonnes, a 75 per cent fall from the previous season, and the lowest barley production since the 1982-83 drought.

Canola production in Victoria is estimated to be 50 000 tonnes in 2006-07, an 85 per cent drop from 2005-06. Area planted to canola is estimated to have fallen by 5 per cent to 213 000 hectares.

Victoria winter crop estimates, 2006-07 Production change from Area Yield a Production 2005-06 `000 ha t/ha kt % Wheat 1 250 0.52  650 -76 Barley  850 0.60  510 -75 Canola  213 0.23  50 -85 a yields are based on area planted. download excel data