Winter crop prospects continue to decline
The latest NSW Grains Report shows prospects for this years winter crop harvest have continued to spiral downwards, Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, said today.
"Todays Grains Report makes for grim reading. Following a good start to the season, we have had nothing but disappointing news each time crop estimates are updated," Minster Macdonald said.
"An estimated four million hectares of wheat is now expected to be harvested, down from more than five million hectares planted.
"As a result, the wheat yield is now forecast to drop to less than 4.5 million tonnes.
"Similar reductions are expected for barley, oats, triticale, cereal rye and canola, resulting in an overall decrease of 18% on the mid-September production estimate from 8 million tonnes to less than 6.6 million tonnes."
Industry & Investment NSW cereals specialist, Frank McRae, said an estimated 274,000 tonnes harvest of canola is now forecast, following crop failures and frost damage in some areas.
"The reduced forecasts since the September Grains Report are the result of a dry spring and damage from frost in early October," he said
"Harvesting of faba bean, barley, canola and wheat has commenced in the north of the State and western areas in the central and southern cropping zones.
"The prospects for dryland summer crops are variable due to the patchy nature of early September and late October rains in the north.
"Some early planted crops have good prospects, while other areas require rain to continue planting.
"Current estimates are for just under 310,000 ha, excluding rice.
"Prospects remain relatively poor for irrigated crops due to continuing low water levels in major water storages across the State.
"Cotton and especially rice are again only a small percentage of historical plantings.
"Sorghum is currently being sown, with around 28% of plantings now in the ground."
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