Canola production in Australia in 2023/24 will decline. Winter harvest has been completed

Australian canola production in 2023/24 has been estimated by ABARES at 5.7 million tons, up 200,000 tons from the previous estimate and the third largest canola crop on record, but still down 31 percent from the same period last year.

Australia’s winter harvest is over, with wheat and canola production beating previous forecasts but still lower than last year, according to the latest crop report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES).

Australia’s total winter crop production in 2023/24, estimated at 46.7 million tons, is up from the December estimate of 46.1 million tons, but still 32 percent below the record high reached last year.

ABARES forecasts Australia’s 2023/24 wheat crop at 26.0 million tons, up 500,000 from the December estimate but 37 percent below last year.

According to the report, the quality profile of the national wheat crop was mixed with a higher proportion of high protein wheat compared to the previous three La Niña years, particularly in Western Australia and South Australia. However, wheat in Victoria and parts of New South Wales was heavily weighted towards the low protein Australian Standard White variety, with some deterioration in quality due to wet harvest conditions.

Total Australian canola production is now forecast at 5.7 million tons, up 200,000 tons from December’s estimate but 31 percent below last year’s record crop.

Barley production is forecast at 10.8 million tons, 24 percent below last year and 4 percent below the 10-year average.

Tags: Australia, rapeseed