Australian Oilseeds
Federation - Crop Report July 2006 (excerpts)
Canola 2006-07
Good general rain over the
weekend has helped crops in the eastern states, but poor
prospects in Western Australia have contributed to a 20%
reduction in production forecasts.
The
area in New South Wales has been revised upwards a
little, but the crop is still well below the long term
average. The crop was in a critical condition, with the good
general soaking rain over the weekend improving the outlook.
The cropping area generally received 20-40 mm of rain.
However, with little or no subsoil moisture in most areas,
the crop will need above average rain through the remainder
of the season to achieve yields equivalent to last season.
The late plant, lack of rain and cold conditions have slowed
crop development and most crops are only at the 2 leaf stage
or less. June was the coldest on average for 25 years and
the cropping area up until the weekend had only had half the
rainfall of last year. There has been some incidence of
lucerne flea and, in the south, some weed issues. Overall,
yields have been reduced slightly, with production estimated
at 252,000 tonnes.
The crop in Victoria
was in a critical condition until the good general rain over
the weekend. Like NSW, most areas received 20-40 mm, which
was the first effective rain since early May. This has
positioned Victoria for a reasonable season, provided there
is a good spring. Area has been revised down slightly to
213,000 hectares and yield to 1.6 t/ha to give 343,000
tonnes.
South Australia did not
fare quite as well as Victoria and NSW in terms of the
weekend rain. However, most areas had reasonable falls with
only the South East missing out. Falls in the South East
were generally only around 10mm, which will be sufficient to
germinate crops. Across the rest of the state, crops are
generally looking good and there could be some upside in
yield if there is reasonable to good rain throughout the
remainder of the season.
The situation in Western
Australia has deteriorated significantly with little
rainfall during June. After a reasonable
start, there has been very little follow up rain - June
rainfall is in the lowest 10% of totals ever recorded. As a
result, yield potential has been revised down. Yield
potential could range from 0.6-1t/ha across the state. Crop
emergence has been very patchy with crop stages varying from
cotyledon to 6 leaf. There has been reported incidence of
vegetable beetle causing concerns while Bryobia mite has
been active well into June. Growers are now seeking to
minimise further input costs. The North is very dry, with
poor yield prospects. Some sown crops have not emerged. The
central western and lower Great Southern districts are
experiencing poor conditions even in some of the higher
rainfall areas. In contrast, the Esperance region is in very
good condition, with prospects for above average yields.
Watch the canola crop progress
at the Virtual Canola Crop site.
http://www.australianoilseeds.com/info/virtual_canola_crop