This equates to 29.3 million tonnes of crop – worth more than $414 million – lost due to drought and severe overnight frosts.
The full extent of the year’s once-in-a-generation drought has been revealed, just as the worst affected areas have finally been dosed with some long awaited for rain Rabobank’s Winter Crop Production Outlook – Running On Empty – estimated Australia’s total harvest is expected to drop 23 per cent on last year’s figure According to Rabobank’s agricultural analyst Wes Lefroy, prices will be pushed up in order to offset lower crop yields for some growers.
The shortage of crops is already threatening to send grocery prices through the roof after Coles’ prices rose in the September quarter for the first time in almost ten years.
‘For vast regions of the eastern states, there will be no harvest, and where there is a harvest, yields will be anywhere between 30 per cent and 50 per cent down on average,’ the Winter Crop report says.
Due to the bone-dry conditions in the eastern states throughout winter, Western Australia will contribute more than half of the national winter crop for the first time in 20 years.
Due to the bone-dry conditions in the eastern states throughout winter, Western Australia will contribute more than half of the national winter crop for the first time in 20 years In total, Australian grain exports are expected to drop by 50 per cent on last year, including a 50 per cent drop in wheat exports, a 48 per cent drop in barley exports, and a 41 per cent drop in canola exports In total, Australian grain exports are expected to drop by 50 per cent on last year, including a 50 per cent drop in wheat exports, a 48 per cent drop in barley exports, and a 41 per cent drop in canola exports.
However, while supermarket power players have been reluctant pass the cost of the drought onto customers – particularly in the case of $1 milk – they have agreed to alter supply-driven price rises in categories such as chicken and dairy products.
… Over the past six months, large areas of NSW have experienced their lowest rainfall on record, and the rest of the state isn’t far behind.
Almost all of the state has received less than 20 per cent of its usual rainfall since January, and Australia as a whole just experienced its warmest and driest July in 20 years.
It has also led to farmers’ forced culling of thousands of starving livestock with no other choice but to shoot suffering animals and bury them in mass graves.