E-Malt.com News article: 2210

Australian barley production in 2003-2004 is estimated to be up 130 % on the 2002-03 harvest to 8.5 million tonnes, according to a report released by Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) on February 17.

Barley production is estimated to have more than doubled to 2.95 million tones in Western Australia - well above the previous largest harvest of 2.26 million tonnes in 2001-02. The increase in production reflects an expansion in the area sown combined with well above average yields. Generally there has been some downgrading of the barley crop from malt to feed quality reflecting high screenings (high proportion of small grain) and cleaving (where the grain splits open because of wet weather).

While the area planted to barley in Victoria is estimated to have been 4 % lower at around 740 000 hectares in 2003-04, production is estimated to have more than tripled or up by 268 % to 1.65 million tonnes.

In South Australia barley production nearly doubled in 2003-04 to 2.55 million tonnes, the second largest barley crop on record. Production was 8 % lower than the record crop in 2001-02. Overall the quality of the crop was good, although there were high levels of screening in some areas and the protein levels were variable.

In New South Wales barley production is estimated to have increased by 187 % to over 1.14 million tones in 2003-2004. Grain quality was variable across the state, with high levels of screenings in the north. A significant proportion of the crop is of malting quality. In the south of the state, the grain was of below average quality, with much of the crop going to the domestic feed grain market.

In Queensland Barley harvest is estimated to be 38 % higher at just over 0.2 million tonnes.


18 February, 2004