Australia: Barley production estimated down 7% in 2018-19

Australia’s barley production is estimated to have fallen by 7% to 8.3 million tonnes in 2018-19, ABARES said in its February report.

In New South Wales, barley production is estimated to have decreased by 47% in 2018–19 to around 630,000 tonnes. The average barley yield is estimated to have fallen by 30%. Area planted to barley fell by 24% to 600,000 hectares.

Queensland’s barley production is estimated to have fallen by 22% to 95,000 tonnes, largely driven by a 20% fall in planted area to 70,000 hectares.

In Victoria, barley production is estimated to have fallen by 48% to 1.1 million tonnes mainly because of a 46% decline in the average yield.

Barley production in South Australia is forecast to decrease by 15% in 2018–19 to around 1.5 million tonnes. An above average share of harvested barley crop has been graded as malting quality because of relatively few screenings.

Western Australia’s barley production is estimated to have increased by 33% to 4.9 million tonnes. This represents the largest barley crop ever grown in Western Australia and exceeds the previous record high by almost 800,000 tonnes. Planted area increased by 25%, largely at the expense of area planted to wheat.

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