CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — Australia is forecast to produce yet another record wheat crop in the 2022-23 marketing year, according to a report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES).
Wheat production is forecast to reach a record of 36.6 million tonnes, a 1% increase over the previous record set last year. If realized, it would be the third straight bumper crop following several years of drought when production dipped below 18 million tonnes.
Barley production is forecast to reach 13.4 million tonnes, the fourth largest on record. Canola production is forecast to also reach a new record at 7.3 million tonnes, a 4% improvement over the previous record set last year.
ABARES, in its report released on Dec. 6, forecast total winter crop production at 62 million tonnes, which would be the second highest on record.
The report noted that qualities of grain and oilseeds in the eastern states have been mixed following ongoingwet conditionsduring spring, which prevented many growers from accessing their paddocks for fertilizing and chemical application.
Reduced capacity to manage weeds and fungal diseases such as stripe rust have contributed to more noticeable loss in yields than previous years. Crop yields in the eastern states also have been affected differently by the ongoing wet conditions, with cereals being more resilient than canola and pulse crops.
