Australia: Grain and Feed Update
Australian wheat production for 2014-15 is expected to fall to 24 million tons due to lower than expected rainfall and declining yields. Wheat exports are forecast to fall to 18 million tons. Barley production is anticipated to decline by one fifth to 7.5 million tons, as some growers shift to wheat and canola crops and yields decline due to below average rainfall. Production of grain sorghum in 2014-15 is likely to increase to 1.8 million tons and the area planted to expand by 27 per cent. Rice production is predicted to rise 7.5 per cent to 644,000 tons due to higher acreage planted with yields to fall. As usual, the weather outlook is crucial for these estimates and below average September rains have impacted on crops.
