Canola crop tonnage estimated at 5.34 million

Growers are holding out for a soft spring finish and follow-up rain so struggling canola crops can deliver. See the latest yield estimates.

Late-season rain in some of the key growing regions for canola has resulted in the estimated national tonnage being forecast at 5.34 million tonnes.

The Australian Oilseeds Federation crop report, released on Tuesday, cites a total canola growing area of 3,335,000 hectares.

The area planted compares to 3,596,000ha last year for yields of 5,802,000 tonnes.

Australian Oilseeds Federation chief executive officer Nick Goddard said Western Australia was expecting yields of 2,120,000 tonnes, NSW, 1,670,000 tonnes, Victoria, 1,245,000 tonnes and South Australia, 305,000 tonnes.

Despite dry conditions in Western Australia the west still holds the lion’s share in terms of contributing to the national tonnage.

The Grain Industry Association of Western Australia crop report showed some optimism for the west after a dry start to the season.

GIWA cited total winter crop yield up to 17,438,000 tonnes, which compares to 16,318,000 that was projected when the report came out in July.

Meanwhile, latest data shows that overall Australia’s production, particularly for canola will be down. The national canola crop was 5,802,000 tonnes last year.

Barry Large of Miling in Western Australia left canola out of his winter crop rotation this year due to the dry seasonal conditions. Mr Large said he wasn’t the only one and there were others who had opted out of the oilseed crop because it was simply too dry at sowing time.

He said that, in general, canola in his area was at the cabbage stage.

“Others are just starting to flower,” he said.

Mr Large said that, overall, he thought the GIWA report was “optimistic” and that eventual yields might even be less than projected.

Fox and Miles agronomist Rob Fox pictured in a crop of wheat. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Fox and Miles agronomist Rob Fox said his area at Marnoo was a long way behind where the crops in his area would typically be.

“We need a soft and favourable spring to finish crops,” he said.

“We are seeing canola flowering but it is still well behind.”

Ryan Milgate, of Minyip. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Ryan Milgate from Minyip in the Wimmera said canola was not looking good in his area.

“In my patch, it was very late germinating, and then we have had a run of frosts through June and July; we are about six weeks behind where we would like to be,” he said.

“Unless the season changes for the positive, I don’t have high hopes for our canola.”

For farmers in the central tablelands of NSW and north of the state, the season has been favourable for the oilseed crop.

DLF Seeds Australia agronomist Frank McRae from Orange, NSW, said canola crops were looking good in his area.

“I recently drove to Victoria, and you could see that there were a lot of parts where the germination of canola was staggered,” he said.

“But in the north, conditions have been good.”