Western Australia Crops Also Weather Damaged
Whilst it has been widely reported in the media recently that crops in eastern Australia have suffered some losses and quality downgrades due to heavy rains, news is now emerging of similar problems in Western Australia, the nation's largest producing state.
The vast majority of wheat from this region gets exported, primarily due to the distance between it and the more heavily populated regions in the east, where the ASX milling wheat contract is based.
Western Australia's Department of Agriculture and Food reported Thursday that the harvest in the region has been delayed and damaged by poor weather, including heavy rains and hail.
Rainfall totals "well above normal for November" have fallen in many areas of WA's vast wheatbelt, they say, causing some crop losses and also quality downgrades similar to what has been witnessed in the east.
"Pre-harvest sprouting in wheat crops is causing some concern... (with a) significant proportion of cereals to be downgraded to feed" the report added.
The Department didn't put a figure of the quantity of grain affected. The state was forecast to produce 8.3mmt of wheat, 2.34mmt barley and 775,000 canola by Abare last month. Abare issues revised production estimates next week.
The vast majority of wheat from this region gets exported, primarily due to the distance between it and the more heavily populated regions in the east, where the ASX milling wheat contract is based.
Western Australia's Department of Agriculture and Food reported Thursday that the harvest in the region has been delayed and damaged by poor weather, including heavy rains and hail.
Rainfall totals "well above normal for November" have fallen in many areas of WA's vast wheatbelt, they say, causing some crop losses and also quality downgrades similar to what has been witnessed in the east.
"Pre-harvest sprouting in wheat crops is causing some concern... (with a) significant proportion of cereals to be downgraded to feed" the report added.
The Department didn't put a figure of the quantity of grain affected. The state was forecast to produce 8.3mmt of wheat, 2.34mmt barley and 775,000 canola by Abare last month. Abare issues revised production estimates next week.
