Australia: Grain and Feed Update

A tale of two is emerging for wheat and barley growers in Australia. Those in the eastern states have entered the MY 2024/25 planting season with good soil moisture and a particularly good fall break with widespread rains in the first week of April. Growers in Western Australia and South Australia have low soil moisture and are yet to receive any meaningful fall rains, with little expectation of rain in the coming weeks. FAS/Canberra forecasts a decline in wheat planted area and yield to dip below average with production at three percent below average. For barley, FAS/Canberra forecasts an increase in planted area but a fall in yield and a small decline in production from the prior year. Sorghum production is forecast to increase slightly in MY 2024/25 and exports are forecast to bounce back after the MY 2023/24 crop was adversely impacted by the widespread rains at harvest. MY 2024/25 is forecast for another strong year of rice production associated with an expectation of ample water availability.