South Australia’s crop forecast climbs by 37 per cent

Despite ongoing dry conditions South Australia’s 2025-26 crop is forecast at 8.2 million tonnes, boosted by a 5 per cent rise in lentil plantings.

South Australia is forecast to produce an 8.2 million tonne crop in 2025–26, up from 5.2 million tonnes last season, despite ongoing dry conditions.

The projected increase comes from the same sown area as last year, with 3.86 million hectares planted across the state.

The South Australian Crop and Pasture Report 2025–26 cites seasonal difficulties and dry conditions for what was a challenging result last year, with just a 5.17 million tonne crop harvested.

While the area planted remains the same as last year, the mix of grain and oilseeds sown has changed, with lentils showing a 5 per cent increase.

The area planted to lentils for 2025-26 was 430,600ha compared to 408,600ha last year.

Lentils have earned pride of place as the third-largest crop in area, behind wheat and barley.

Farmers have sown 2,085,200ha of wheat this season compared to 2,014,500ha in 2024/25.

A total of 842,340ha of barley was planted this year, in contrast to 798,140ha last year.

Farmers are hoping for a good spring to boost crop outlooks.

Dry seasons have taken a toll on canola planting, and farmers sowed 21,350ha less this year for a total of 219,950ha compared to 241,300ha last year.

The crop report cited a lack of opening season rains at sowing time for the falling area of canola.

Despite projections of a larger crop in tonnes at harvest later this year, even though the sowing area remains the same, farmers believe the outlook might be somewhat optimistic.

Damien Sommerville farms between Burra and Spalding in South Australia and said things were incredibly dry.

“There are places to the north of here, like Jamestown, where some farmers haven’t put a crop in, or it hasn’t emerged yet,” he said.

“My crops have emerged, but they are patchy, particularly the canola.”

Mr Sommerville said the reality was that there was virtually no subsoil moisture.

He has kept his cropping mix and rotations reasonably similar compared to previous years, but did increase lentils and hay crops.

“We are optimistic and we are hoping that the season will turn around,” he said.

The wheat, barley, canola, lupins and oats were considered to be behind and not big, but a welcome 30mm of rain had fallen in June.

Richard Konzag of Mallala, South Australia said regular and steady rain would be needed to reach the projected tonnages in the forecasts.

He said crops were established. And they were looking good but there were fears about dry conditions in July.

“If we have a dry July that will lop a lot of the yield expectations off crops,” he said.