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January 18, 2002
Australia: Winter Grain Season Slowly Concludes
Australia's 2001/02 grain harvest, characterized by varied growing conditions across the grain belt, is nearing completion. Queensland and Western Australia began the season with exceptionally dry conditions. While Queensland continued to suffer drought-like conditions, Western Australia began to receive normal precipitation somewhat late in the growing season. The late start of spring and winter precipitation in Western Australia likely cut yield potential. Conditions in New South Wales were generally dry in the north, while the southern region experienced mostly favorable growing conditions as did the other main grain producing states of Victoria and South Australia.
In many regions, harvest has been delayed due to late-season rainfall. In other areas, harvest occurred later than normal due to cooler temperatures at the start of the season. In the Wimmera region of west-central Victoria, growing conditions caused a noticeable seasonal shift with the crop maturing later than in the previous season. Satellite imagery of central-west Victoria show the seasonal difference. In the November 2001 scene (left) winter grain fields are seen passing from reproductive-to-filling stage (reds) to ripening-to-mature stage (blues). In the image on the right, the November 2000 scene from the previous season the crop is maturing and harvest is nearly complete in many fields (green and white fields).
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Satellite Imagery of Winter Grain Grain Areas: Year to Year Comparison |
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| Locator Map for this TM scene |
In South Australia similar but less dramatic differences can be seen in crop stage. In this satellite scene of an area just north of Adelaide, there are two differences between the seasons. The extent of winter grain area is larger in 2001 (left) than in the previous season visualized as vegetated fields seen as orange, blue, red hues. Furthermore, within the vegetated fields the November 2000 scene (right), more fields have passed into filling and maturing crop stage (blues and greens) as compared to the current season (scene on the left).
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Satellite Imagery of Winter Grain Grain Areas: Year to Year Comparison |
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| Locator Map for this TM scene |
Lower yields are expected from the soon to be completed Western Australia and already completed Queensland winter grain harvest. This reduction will be partially offset by the more promising conditions found in the two southern states. In Victoria and South Australia winter wheat and barley the crop area appears to be similar or marginally larger than last season for these areas and crop conditions appear good. Australia winter grain harvest is estimated to be over 90 percent complete.
