Australia: Barley crop up by 56% to record high of 13.4 mln tonnes

Australia’s barley production is by 56 per cent to a record high of 13.4 million tonnes this year, ABARES said in their February report.

In New South Wales, barley production is estimated to have increased by 43 per cent in 2016–17 to a record high of 2.7 million tonnes. The average barley yield is estimated at a record high of 3.1 tonnes a hectare. Area planted to barley fell by 3 per cent to 870,000 hectares.

Queensland’s barley production is estimated to have risen by 45 per cent in 2016–17 to 300,000 tonnes. The average yield is estimated to have increased by more than 50 per cent to a record
3.2 tonnes a hectare.

In Victoria, barley production is estimated to have increased by 137 per cent in 2016−17 to 3.2 million tonnes, driven by a record average yield of 3.4 tonnes a hectare. Lodging and black tipping was most significant for early planted barley. However, the share of the crop that met malt specifications was around average. Planted area is estimated to have been unchanged from the previous year.

South Australia’s barley production is estimated to have risen by 59 per cent in 2016−17 to 3.0 million tonnes as a result of an estimated 61 per cent increase in the average yield. Planted area is estimated to have fallen by 1 per cent.

Western Australia’s barley production is estimated to have increased by 29 per cent to a record high 4.2 million tonnes. The average yield was boosted by favourable seasonal conditions in the far south of the state’s cropping region.

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