Australia: EYRE Peninsula's farmers should be finished harvesting next week, Port Lincoln Time reported on January 6. The harvest is the region's second biggest ever yield. Rural Solutions SA field crop consultant Jeff Braun said grain quality was average to above average. "It's generally good with a few exceptions," he said. Those exceptions include barley, with malt affecting most crops and protein levels low. Due to high yields, protein levels for much of the barley are below 10 per cent, which means there will be a slight deduction in price. "That will take a bit of the edge off the price, but the higher yields will discount that."

06 January, 2004