Australian crop report: December 2015 No.176

The report is a quarterly report with a consistent and regular assessment of crop prospects for major field crops, forecasts of area, yield and production and a summary of seasonal conditions on a state by state basis. \r\n\r\n\r\n 2015-16 winter crop production • Prospects for Australian winter crop production in 2015-16 weakened during spring, reflecting generally unfavourable seasonal conditions. \r\n• Despite the unfavourable spring seasonal conditions, total Australian winter crop production is forecast to increase by 2 per cent in 2015-16 to 39.1 million tonnes. \r\n• For the major winter crops: wheat production is forecast to rise by 1 per cent to 24.0 million tonnes; barley production is forecast to rise by 2 per cent to around 8.2 million tonnes; and canola production is forecast to fall by 14 per cent to around 3.0 million tonnes, reflecting a fall in area planted to canola. \r\n• Harvesting of winter crops is largely complete in Queensland and is underway in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. To date crop quality has varied widely among different crops and cropping regions. \r\n 2015-16 summer crop production • The start to the 2015-16 summer crop season is promising. Planting conditions are favourable in the major summer cropping regions of Queensland and northern New South Wales, reflecting widespread rainfall in late October and early November and a favourable outlook for rain over the coming months. \r\n• Total area planted to summer crops is forecast to increase by 12 per cent in 2015-16 to around 1.2 million hectares, driven by forecast increases in area planted to grain sorghum and cotton. However, area planted to rice is forecast decline significantly, which reflects relatively low irrigation water availability in rice growing regions. \r\n• Total summer crop production is forecast to fall by 4 per cent to 3.9 million tonnes, largely as a result of a forecast fall in rice production. \r\n本报告为季度报告，将对主要大田作物（field crops）的生产前景开展持续规范的评估，同时预测作物种植面积、单产与总产量，并分州总结季节气候条件。 ### 2015-16年度冬季作物生产 • 2015-16财年澳大利亚冬季作物生产前景在春季有所走弱，整体受普遍不利的季节气候条件影响。 • 尽管春季气候条件不利，澳大利亚2015-16年度冬季作物总产量仍预计增长2%，达到3910万吨。 • 主要冬季作物中：小麦产量预计增长1%，至2400万吨；大麦产量预计增长2%，至约820万吨；油菜籽产量预计下降14%，至约300万吨，这主要源于油菜籽种植面积的缩减。 • 昆士兰州的冬季作物收获工作已基本完成，新南威尔士州、维多利亚州、南澳大利亚州与西澳大利亚州的收获工作正在进行中。截至目前，不同作物及种植区域的作物品质差异显著。 ### 2015-16年度夏季作物生产 • 2015-16年度夏季作物季开局向好。昆士兰州及新南威尔士州北部的主要夏作种植区域种植条件利好，这得益于10月末至11月初的大范围降雨，以及未来数月的利好降雨预期。 • 受谷物高粱与棉花种植面积预计增长的推动，2015-16年度澳大利亚夏季作物总种植面积预计增长12%，至约120万公顷。不过水稻种植面积预计将大幅下降，这主要源于水稻种植区域的灌溉用水供应相对不足。 • 受水稻产量预计下滑的影响，2015-16年度夏季作物总产量预计下降4%，至390万吨。