Australian Pulse Crop Expands

VANCOUVER - Feb 15/11 - SNS -- A dramatic increase in the estimated size of this year's lupin harvest in Australia lifted the estimated size of this season's harvest above those contained in the previous crop report from the Australian Bureau Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).

Total production for the 2010-11 season is now expected to reach 2.104 million metric tons (MT), up 44,000 MT from last year, and roughly 92,000 MT above the previous estimate for this season.

Lupins are the most widely grown pulse in Australia, with production up 101,000 MT from the previous report at 618,000. However, this is down significantly from the 823,000 MT produced in 2009-10. ABARES also believes this year's lentil and fababean crops are bigger than initially thought, increasing lentils from 297,000 to 306,000 MT; and fababeans from 266,000 to 287,000 MT.

As expected, the forecast size of the Australian chickpea crop was further reduced from 415,000 to 379,000 MT because of wet weather conditions; while this season's estimated field pea crop slipped 3,000 MT to 434,000.

"Before heavy rain late in the season in the eastern states, the growing conditions for winter crops were highly favorable," ABARES explained in its crop report. "However, the excessive rainfall in November to January 2011 significantly lowered the quality of the harvested crop and resulted in the loss of some crops because of flooding and fungal disease. Nevertheless, with the winter crop harvest all but complete, reports are that yields are at or near records in the eastern states.

"An upside of all the rain over recent months is that it has replenished irrigation dams and boosted soil moisture, which will be highly beneficial for the current summer cropping season," ABARES said.

"In contrast to the eastern states, the cropping regions of Western Australia recorded their driest year on record and, although production was significantly lower than the previous season, the yields achieved for the winter crop were higher than earlier expectations."