Smallest Australian Harvest in 20 Years

SYDNEY - Feb 17/03 - STAT -- Australia has harvested the smallest crop in twenty years, according to the latest crop production estimates developed by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE). Production of all crops totalled just 15.4 million MT, down 24.3 million MT from last season, and the smallest winter grains crop since 1982-83 when production was 12.0 million MT.

In releasing the latest numbers, ABARE said, "Estimates for Australian winter crop production for 2002-03 have been revised downward since the last estimates made in the December Australian Crop Report, largely as a result of poorer than expected harvests in Western Australia and South Australia."

New South Wales and Victorian producers have been the most severely affected by the drought, with production down 77% and 69% to 2.55 million MT and 1.72 million MT respectively. It is the lowest winter New South Wales crop since 1994-95 when only 1.47 million MT of winter crops were harvested. However, the area sown to winter crops in 2002-03 is estimated to have been around 65% more than the area sown to winter crops in New South Wales in 1994-95. A similar situation exists in Victoria, and on yield comparisons, average winter crop yields in 2002-03 are the lowest since 1982-83.

While winter crop production in Queensland was down only 39% from last season to around 0.72 million MT, production in the previous season in Queensland was also severely reduced by dry conditions. After a record winter crop harvest in 2001-02 in South Australia of 9.0 million MT, production in 2002-03 is estimated to have fallen by 58% to 3.8 million MT, the lowest harvest since 1994-95. In Western Australia, production in 2002-03 is estimated to have been halved from last season at 6.1 million MT, the lowest harvest since 1987-88.

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