Crop report shows barley drop for Albany zone amid China tariffs

The Grain Industry Association of WA’s June crop report estimates the State’s barley crop has dropped 12.4 per cent from the previous month. The drop comes after China introduced tariffs on barley from Australia, with the Albany zone losing about 30,000 hectares of the grain compared with May estimates. With the drop in barley plantings has come a rise in wheat, oats and pulses for the zone, which is in-line with the Statewide trend. Crop report author Michael Lamond said in the June report that crops in the south-east of the Albany zone were patchy, with some just emerging after light rainfall. “Due to market developments there was a small ‘double swing’ out of barley that was originally planned to go into canola, which was adjusted due to the late start and ended up being planted to wheat,” he said. “The surface water situation for much of the zone is still critical and growers are still turning off stock in big numbers.” Mr Lamond said the Albany west zone was in “good shape” with most of the crop sown before the end of May. “Establishment has been good to fair and even though crops have started to tongue for water following the warm days in the last week, most are holding up OK,” he said. “There were no major changes in crop area from last month’s crop report and no major changes to planned programs from earlier in the year. “The soil moisture profile in the region continues to be low and the region is well down on average rainfall for this time of year. “Most growers are not worried at this stage of the growing season because the timing of the start they received means the region has plenty of time to produce above average tonnages.” In the east Albany zone, Mr Lamond said there had been an increase in canola plantings and a slight drop in barley. “The majority of barley was sown in the region when the new season price correction occurred; barley suits the region more than other cereals so the adjustment in planted area was never going to be significant,” he said. Growers in the east were enjoying their best start for the last three or four years. “Crops (in the east) have got away well, with the amount and timing of rainfall just enough to keep them moving along,” Mr Lamond said. “Some of the earlier crops are patchy and there has been some re-sowing of canola, due more to germination issues and running out of moisture rather than furrow fill as has been the case further north. “In the main, the early barley and oat crops look very good.”