AUSTRALIA (2 June)
Planting of the 2003 winter wheat and coarse grain crops has started in many areas following rains in May. However, although latest weather indications are generally in favour of a normal winter rainfall season given that the El Niño event, which brought drought in the previous season, is finished, as of early June, some areas were still awaiting the arrival of sufficient precipitations. Early indications of farmers' planting intention point to a significant increase in the winter grain area this year to compensate for last year’s drought reduced production and returns. Given the satisfactory start of planting, and assuming normal weather for the remainder of the season, a wheat crop of some 24 million tonnes is forecast, close to the record in 2001. The winter coarse grain crop is also seen to rebound sharply from the previous year’s reduced level. The 2003 rice crop, harvesting of which is almost complete, was severely affected by last year’s drought. Output is officially forecast at just 370 000 tonnes, down over 70 percent from the 2002 level, and one of the lowest harvests on national record.