Minor Tweaks in Australian Pulse Picture

VANCOUVER - Sep 15/08 - SNS -- Australian pulse production will end up slightly lower than initially expected, judging from the latest estimates from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE).

Data is based on information from Pulse Australia. However, ABARE's lentil harvest estimate for last year are roughly double numbers published by Pulse Australia in July, bringing the data more in line with the country's export activity. For the coming harvest, Pulse Australia reduced forecast lupin output, while slightly raising expected field pea, chickpea, fababean and lentil production.

Discussing current growing conditions, ABARE said, "With the exception of Queensland, the majority of Australia's winter cropping regions received average to below average winter rainfall, with August being a particularly dry month. The lack of winter rainfall meant crops in many areas were suffering moisture stress as they headed into the critical spring growth phase.

"Widespread rainfall in the first week of September arrived just in time for many crops. However, because of a lack of subsoil moisture in many areas, further spring rainfall will be critical to secure forecast production levels.

"The Australian Bureau of Meteorology in its latest seasonal rainfall outlook for the September to November period indicates there is no strong swing in the odds toward either above or below average spring rainfall over most of Australia. However, the odds favor a wetter than average spring in south-west Western Australia, while a drier than average spring is forecast for some parts of central and southern South Australia," ABARE said.

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