Prospects not good: ABARES

Australian winter crop prospects deteriorated during early spring following unfavourable seasonal conditions in most cropping regions, according to a preliminary assessment conducted by Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

ABARES executive director Steve Hatfield-Dodds said the September edition of Australian Crop Report had identified a lack of timely rainfall in early spring and frost events as key risks to winter crop prospects.

Significant frost events had an impact in both southern NSW and Victoria, with the benefits received from October rainfall expected be outweighed by damage that resulted from the unfavourable seasonal conditions during September.

‘‘We expect 2018-19 winter crop production to be around 15 per cent lower than our September forecast of 33.2 million tonnes,’’ Dr Hatfield-Dodds said.

‘‘Wheat is now expected to come in around 13 per cent lower than our September forecast.

‘‘The story is similar for barley production, down an expected 17 per cent, and canola production, down an expected 20 per cent.’’

Dr Hatfield-Dodds said the most significant falls in crop prospects occurred in Victoria and South Australia.