Australia: Barley production forecast to increase by 4% in 2019-20

Australia’s barley production in 2019-20 is forecast to increase by 4% to around 8.7 million tonnes, 3% below the 10-year average to 2018–19, ABARES said in their December report.

In New South Wales barley production is forecast to be 725,000 tonnes in 2019–20, 57% below the 10-year average to 2018–19. The average barley yield is forecast to be 1.25 tonnes per hectare, which is 38% below the 10-year average to 2018–19. Area planted to barley is estimated to be 580,000 hectares, 28% below the 10-year average to 2018–19.

Queensland’s barley production is estimated to have fallen by 37% in 2019–20 to 60,000 tonnes. Area planted to barley is estimated to have fallen by 36% to 45,000 hectares due to lower than average rainfall in southern Queensland, where most barley is grown in the state.

Barley production in Victoria is forecast to increase by 109% in 2019–20 to around 2.3 million tonnes, which is 24% above the 10-year average to 2018–19. The forecast increase is largely driven by an expected 101% increase in the average yield. There has been a high level of screenings in early deliveries of barley from regions adversely affected by a finish with below average rainfall.

South Australia’s barley production is forecast to increase by 109% in 2019–20 to around 2.3 million tonnes, which is 24% above the 10-year average to 2018–19. The forecast increase is largely driven by an expected 101% increase in the average yield. There has been a high level of screenings in early deliveries of barley from regions adversely affected by a finish with below average rainfall.

In Western Australia, barley production is forecast to fall by 25% in 2019–20 to 3.7 million tonnes, largely reflecting a forecast 34% fall in the average yield from the high yield of last year. Area planted to barley is estimated to have risen by 14% to around 1.7 million hectares. Barley yields across the state held up a lot better than wheat over spring due to a lot of barley being grown in the southern cropping regions, where seasonal conditions were slightly more favourable.

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