A quick glance at all the indexes for rural industries and everything this week is heading is the right direction - upwards, what a turn around from this time last year ,when drought was hurting on multiple fronts.
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From the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI), to 90CL Cow, live export prices, feeder steers, Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator and the Southern Oscillation Index - all are showing very positive signs for farmers and their rural communities.
In the case of the EYCI last week it hit 753c/kg cwt which is 260c/kg cwt higher than the same time last year.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts that from July to September its is likely to be wetter than average for most of Australia.
In addition to this positive outlook is ABARES Australian crop report - June 2020 which is forecasting a 53 per cent increase in winter crop production in 2020-21, with a 23 per cent jump in the area planted.
Peter Gooday, acting Executive Director of ABARES, said the opening to the winter cropping season in 2020-21 was very favourable, especially in the eastern states and South Australia.
"Winter crop production is forecast be to be 44.5 million tonnes in 2020-21, which is 11 per cent above the 10-year average to 2019-20," Mr Gooday said.
"Yield prospects in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are forecast to be above average given favourable levels of soil moisture at the beginning of June and the likelihood of above average rainfall in July."
This forecast assumes average seasonal conditions in spring because the Bureau of Meteorology outlook for spring is not yet available.
The area planted to winter crops in 2020-21 is forecast to be 22.5 million hectares, which is five per cent above the 10-year average to 2019-20 of 21.4 million hectares.
"The majority of this increase is expected to be in New South Wales, where seasonal conditions so far are much more favourable than during the last two winter crop seasons," Mr Gooday said.
For the major winter crops, area planted to wheat is forecast to increase by 27 per cent to almost 13 million hectares, eight per cent above the 10-year average to 2019-20 of 12 million hectares.
The only concern is a rising Australian dollar with it sitting just below $US0.70c and a lacklustre wool market due to the pandemic's accumulative impact on the major buyers in China and Italy.
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
