Australian Oilseeds Federation: Canola plantings a new record, hope for big crop
Canola has the potential to set new records this season. WHAT COULD HAPPEN
Australian canola growers are expected to plant their biggest crop this year and may even set a new production record, according to the Australian Oilseeds Federation.
Very high prices for canola and good seasonal conditions have prompted a big swing into the canola.
In its first forecast for the 2021-22 season, the AOF has tipped every state to increase their plantings from last year, with a record total of 2.87 million hectares to be sown or already planted across the nation.
The AOF has estimated national production at 4.03 million tonnes, 5.7 per cent lower than last season’s record of 4.28 million tonnes.
Victoria is expected to plant 500,000ha, NSW 600,000ha and South Australia 270,000ha.
West Australian growers are estimated to have sown a record 1.5 million hectares and hold one of the keys to a national record.
AOF executive director Nick Goddard said, if yields hit 1.5 tonnes/ha, WA would produce a record crop.
“They have had an unseasonally good start, with good moisture during the pre-seeding and seeding period,” Mr Goddard said.
“Western Australia is typically reliable with its weather.
“Even with a dry spring it comes through.”
Northern NSW is the other key area which could see a new record set.
Mr Goddard said rainfall in northern NSW had been good during the past two years, but growers had opted for safer planting options in cereals and pulse crops after years of drought to put “money in the bank”.
“But now, they can go a lot more strongly on canola,” he said.
Mr Goddard said mice were also presenting problems in some areas of NSW.
In Victoria and SA, dry conditions might set back any hope of setting a new national record.
“We would have to have the planets align to get the sort of yields we got last year,” Mr Goddard said.
“The larger area sown will help compensate any downfall with either mice or the dry conditions, particularly in South Australia.”
The AOF said if average yields of the past decade were achieved, the harvest could exceed last year’s record.
But if 2020 yields prevailed, the national crop would hit a massive 5.3 million tonnes.
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