Queensland farmers will carry the nation this year, with record winter crop production making up for shortfalls in other states.
Rabobank’s 2024-25 Australian Winter Crop Forecast shows the Sunshine State’s grain and oilseed production totals were estimated to be double that of last season.
RaboResearch analyst Vitor Pistoia said Australia was looking towards harvesting a “marginally larger” winter crop this season, despite significant weather challenges experienced in a number of key grain-growing regions throughout the year.
Mr Pistoia said the nation was on track to produce an estimated total winter crop of 47.1 million tonnes, up one percent (0.5 million tonnes) on the previous season, but down 13 percent on the five-year average.
He said a combination of lack of timely rainfall along with late frosts in some regions had taken the edge off this year’s production prospects with overall grain and oilseed production forecast to be down 43 percent on the previous year in South Australia and 35 percent in Victoria.
“Queensland, on the other hand, is set to be doing the heaviest lifting when it comes to production tallies, with that state’s grain and oilseed totals estimated to be up a record-breaking 107 per cent on the previous season.”
Mr Pistoia said Queensland’s 2024 winter crop production was looking on track to break the total production record and surpass the 2021 season as the biggest-ever crop in the state.
He said total production for the season in Queensland was forecast to come in at 3.6 million tonnes.
