Face of Nation :Winter showers have given farmers a drop of relief but rainfall in many of the nation’s key agricultural regions missed out as drought conditions linger.
Rabobank’s latest monthly agribusiness wrap said it was a cold, moist June for the Western Australian wheatbelt with Geraldton getting more than 120 millimetres for the month after the previous nine months had yielded only 29 millimetres.
Most of South Australia and Victoria received above-average falls however, in line with the past 18 months, much of NSW and Queensland missed out on major June rain.
“At the drought extremities, only 10.4mm and 11.6mm fell for Dubbo and Moree,” Rabobank said on Friday.
Late Autumn showers had helped to top up soil moisture levels across the east coast, allowing many producers to push ahead with their winter cropping plans.
Unfavourable rainfall remains the forecast for the next six months.
Rabobank grains and oilseeds analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon said winter crop hectares are expected to be higher than last year but more than 12 per cent down on the average.
Grain production is expected to be below 20 million tonnes again in 2019-20 despite the improved outlook for southern NSW, Victoria, Central Queensland, and now Western Australia.
