Australia: Barley exports will slump 43 % because of a much reduced crop, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics predicts.In its latest winter crop forecasts, ABARE says total barley production will fall 28 %nt to 6.2 million tonnes. The worst hit area has been Western Australia, where the barley crop is expected to be down 37 per cent to 1.9 million tonnes.

"The 2004/05 barley crop had a poor finish to the season," it said. "As a result, the quality of the crop could have been adversely affected. "High screenings have resulted in a larger proportion of the barley crop being classed as feed barley in the northern grain belt."

South Australia's barley crop is expected to fall 29 % to 1.8 million tonnes and in Victoria is should be down 31 % to 1.2 million tonnes. The drop in production will result in total barley exports falling below 4 million tonnes, well down on the 7 million tonnes sent overseas last season.

Feed barley exports are expected to drop more than 50 per cent to 1.9 million tonnes, while malting barley exports should slip about 25 per cent to 1.5 million tonnes.

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