Australia’s autumn weather has varied considerably between states, presenting a mixed start for farmers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
Victoria, South Australia and most of New South Wales have received a general seasonal break.
However, Western Australian farmers are also pushing ahead with dry planting following limited rain in April and early May.
Dry weather is working against an expected increase in the WA canola plantings, as farmers like to have the crop seeded and planted early.
Many Queensland grain farmers have started dry seeding the 2017/18 winter crops, as they wait for further planting rains.
Some farmers in the Goondiwindi area are planting on soil moisture after picking up some isolated storms in recent weeks, but many have decided to commence dry planting. Good soil moisture levels following the March rain has comforted growers to proceed with dry seeding strategies.
Overall, farmers remain nervous about the drier than normal outlook for the Australian winter offered by the Bureau of Meteorology.
In its latest seasonal outlook, the Bureau said the southern two-thirds of Australia is likely to see below average rainfall for May to July.
Australian grain exports continue to flow at a record pace following last year’s massive harvest.
Recently released government monthly trade data showed that Australian wheat, barley and canola is being rapidly shipped into overseas markets.
The swift export pace has some trading thinking that Australia’s carry over grain stocks may not be as large as previously thought.
Australia shipped 2.4 million tonnes of wheat in March, slightly up on the February figures and modestly below the record large 2.54 million tonnes exported in January.
This puts the national January to March wheat shipments at a record large 7.3 million tonnes.
Barley shipments continue to flow at a breakneck pace. Australia’s March barley exports were a record large 1.27 million tonnes.
The massive March exports was the third consecutive month where Australian barley shipments exceeded one million tonnes, a feat that hadn’t been achieved before this year.
The rampant barley export pace is being driven by strong demand from China, and to a less degree Saudi Arabia.
Grain markets have trended higher over the past month as United States wheat futures firmed on weather concerns.
US wheat futures rallied by 10 per cent in early May after late season blizzards took a toll on the HRW wheat crop.
Industry analysts are saying the storms could cut the size of the HRW crop by upwards of two million tonnes, but it will be several weeks before the full extent of the damage is known.
The USDA will issue its first assessment of the world 2017/18 wheat crop in early May.
This is expected to show a sharp drop in production following last year’s record large harvest.
Heavy old crop wheat supplies in the United States, Canada and Russia continues to cap rallies in world wheat markets.