Canberra – February 15, 2021
Aussie national commodity forecast are lifting for current-crop wheat, barley and canola, arriving the biggest wheat crop on record.
Harvesting of all three crops is now over in all, with wheat now forecast to produce 33.3 million tonnes (Mt), 5 per cent higher than the previous record of 31.8Mt set in 2016-17, and up 7 per cent from the previous estimate issued in December.
On wheat, the lift in production has come largely from higher-than-expected yields in Western Australia and New South Wales.
The national forecast for barley production at 13.1Mt is up 9pc from 12Mt forecast in December, but is below the national record set in 2016-17 of 13.5Mt.
On barley, the South Australian area estimate has risen 20,000 hectares, however the bulk of the production rise has come from increased yields in NSW, SA and Victoria, with WA again the surprise packet.
Increases for Victorian and WA production alone have lifted the national forecast for canola by 9pc to 4.1Mt, again below the record set in 2016-17 of 4.3Mt.
