Australian crop report: February 2015 No.173

The report is a quarterly report with a consistent and regular assessment of crop prospects for major field crops, forecasts of area, yield and production and a summary of seasonal conditions on a state by state basis.

Key Issues

Summer rainfall has improved prospects for Australia's 2014-15 summer crop after largely unfavourable seasonal conditions in spring.

2014-15 summer crop production • Total Australian summer crop production is forecast to remain largely unchanged at around 3.7 million tonnes in 2014-15. • While the planted area is forecast to be lower than in 2013-14, yields are expected to be higher. • However, the forecast area planted to summer crops has been revised up from the forecast published in the December 2014 edition of the Australian crop report.
• Grain sorghum is forecast to rise by around two-thirds to 1.8 million tonnes in 2014-15. • In contrast, cotton production is forecast to fall by 47 per cent to 470 000 tonnes of cotton lint and around 665 000 tonnes of cottonseed. • Rice production is forecast to decline by 18 per cent in 2014-15 to around 684 000 tonnes. 2014-15 winter crop production • Total Australian winter crop production is estimated to have fallen by 13 per cent in 2014-15 to 38.2 million tonnes, reflecting estimated lower production in all the major producing states as a result of a decline in yields from the high yields in 2013-14. • Production was still higher in 2014-15 than the 10-year average to 2013-14, by 7 per cent. • Wheat production is estimated to have fallen by 12 per cent to 23.6 million tonnes. • Barley production is estimated to have fallen by 18 per cent to 8 million tonnes. • Canola production is estimated to have declined by 10 per cent to 3.4 million tonnes.