Poor season hits grain yields

Western Australia’s wheat and cereal growers may be expecting a drop of almost 50 per cent on last season’s production, yet the outlook in WA is better than that for most other states, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

The release forecasts WA’s winter crop production to be down by 48 per cent on last year’s season, to 7.5 million tonnes, although it rates WA and Queensland as the states with the best outlook for harvest.

The decline in production is being attributed to well below average rainfall in the WA grain belt from May to October. A poor start to the season is expected to lead to a 20 per cent drop in production for the northern part of the belt.

The central and southern regions have fared better, and are expecting close to average yields, benefiting from rainfall in September and October.

Wheat production is expected to be around five million tonnes, a fall of almost 50 per cent and the smallest wheat harvest in the state for four years, while canola production is estimated to have declined by 56 per cent to 280,000 tonnes.

Barley production is estimated to have declined by 36 per cent to below 1.7mt, following a reduction in the area sown to barley by almost one-fifth this season.

Lupin production is expected to drop 86 per cent this year, as the area sown has almost halved and yields declined.

Meanwhile, WA farmers are voicing their concern over the federal government’s transfer of the wheat export veto power from AWB to the agriculture minister.

The government last week passed the Wheat Marketing Amendment Bill 2006, which gives Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran the power to veto applications for bulk wheat exports until June 30 next year.

The day before the announce-ment, WAFarmers president Trevor De Landgrafft called for clarification regarding the government’s use of the veto power.

“There seems to be a belief in Canberra that removing the power of veto from AWB solves the problem for wheat marketing in Western Australia,” Mr De Landgrafft said. “However, this action only creates further uncertainly and delays for farmers.

“Farmers need to make decisions, and with limited wheat crops in WA because of the drought, farmers are anxious to ensure that their wheat is sold as soon as possible so they have cash flow and surety as they plan next year’s cropping program.”

The lobby group has called for a marketing model based on the six principles of the Grains Council of Australia, with these principles forming the basis for consultation between growers, government and industry.

With AWB’s export rights threatened, Co-operative Bulk Handling had attempted to secure wheat export rights, a move that was opposed by state Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls and the party’s agricultural region MLC, Murray Criddle.

The group applied to export 2mt of Western Australian wheat to the Interflour Group, a move vetoed by AWB.

Mr Grylls claimed the bulk handler was attempting to “cherry pick” WA’s wheat yield, ignoring just less than half of the expected yield.