Australia: ABARE forecast for winter barley production 2004-2005 is down 0.7 million tonnes to 7.8 million tonnes. Autumn rainfall across the grain belt was variable and some southern areas are still waiting for sufficient planting rains to allow winter crops to be sown. While it is becoming too late in most areas to plant canola, wheat and barley crops can still be planted up to the end of June without significant yield penalties, ABARE posted in the Crop Report on June 8, 2004. Sowing conditions have generally been favorable in northern New South Wales and most of the cropping areas in Queensland. The grain growing areas most in need of rain are in the northern areas of the Central Highlands in Queensland, southern and central New South Wales, northwest Victoria, most grain growing regions in South Australia and the eastern cropping belt of Western Australia.

According to ABARE, in New South Wales the area planted to barley is estimated to rise by 5 % to 640,000 hectares in 2004-05, reflecting expected higher sowings in the north and south. By the end of May around a third of the crop had been planted, with most of this having been sown in the north. There is potential for further plantings of barley if there is a late break to the season in areas that currently remain dry.

In Victoria state the area planted to barley is estimated to be similar to last year at around 740,000 hectares in 2004-05, with production forecast to be around 1.54 million tonnes.

The very good planting conditions mean that the Queensland area planted to barley is likely to be well above the area sown in recent years.

In Western Australia the area sown to barley is estimated to fall by 7 % to 1.15 million hectares in 2004-05. A reduced area planted, together with reduced yields are expected to result in lower production this year — 2.38 million tonnes, a fall of 19 %.

The South Australia area planted to barley is forecast to be largely unchanged at around 1.1 million hectares in 2004-05. Barley production in 2004-05 is forecast to be 2.3 million tonnes, a decrease of 11 % on last season’s production as a result of forecast lower average yield.

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