SYDNEY, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — A severe and ongoing drought means crop production in Australia’s eastern states will be short millions of tonnes compared to the previous year, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARES) on Tuesday.
For the states most acutely impacted by the drought, New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, crop production is expected to be 46 and 38 percent lower respectively on last year’s figures.
This year’s forecast 3.89 million tonne winter crop in NSW, which includes wheat, barley, canola and oats, is barely a quarter of the 14.78 million tonne crop produced by the state in 2010-11.
However, on the other side of the country in the state of Western Australia (WA), crop production is set to rise 12 percent due to favourable growing conditions.
"The very poor conditions in most cropping regions in NSW and Queensland have been partly offset by forecast above-average yields in WA, following favourable rainfall in late autumn and winter," ABARES Executive Director Steve Hatfield-Dodds said.
Overall the national crop production will fall by 12 percent from last year to 33.2 million tonnes.
While much of the grain grown in Australia is exported to countries like China, this year some of the product from WA’s bumper crop will go to subsidising the domestic market in the East.

In this six-part series, we are discovering what sustainability on Michigan farms means, looking at examples of how farms are demonstrating that sustainability, and how the Michigan State University Extension is working with producers to become even more sustainable.
As a reminder, the definition that is used by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program for sustainable agriculture is: “Sustainable agriculture is defined as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term: satisfy human food and fiber needs, enhance environmental quality and the natural resources base upon which the agricultural economy depends, make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls, sustain the economic viability of farm operations, enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.” This third article’s specific topic is “Enhancing environmental quality and the natural resources base upon which the agricultural economy depends.” Although enhancing our environmental quality and natural resource base may seem difficult, it nonetheless is critical for agriculture and for our communities that rely on the food that agriculture produces.
But without an enhanced environmental quality and natural resource base, those gains will be short lived.
Michigan farmers continue to make improvements in this area, including being involved in voluntary programs such as the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP).
So what does MSU Extension do to help support sustainability in this area of “Enhancing environmental quality and the natural resources base upon which the agricultural economy depends?” One example is how MSU Extension is working with farms to fully account for the nutrients that manure brings to the soil, and also the utilizing those nutrients to the greatest benefit of crops through proper timing of spreading.
When is the best time to spread manure for optimal crop production and minimize environmental losses?
The right timing depends on the manure-handling system, cropping system, field conditions, weather forecasts, time and labor available, volume of manure in the pit and many other factors.
The best answer is to know the risk factors during the time of manure application and minimize those risks while optimizing crop production with those additional manure nutrients.
To help solve this complex scenario, a new tool is available for Michigan livestock producers to use when making decisions on when and where to spread manure.
The Michigan State University EnviroImpact Tool is part of the Michigan Manure Management Advisory System that was been developed through a partnership between National Weather Service/NOAA, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), MSU Institute of Water Research, Michigan Sea Grant and MSU Extension.

And within 10 years, 90 percent of Missouri’s independent hog producers were forced out of business by their competition.
He’s also reviewed countless studies on CAFOs prepared by highly reputable research institutions.
Ikerd found serious consequences from CAFOs are inevitable.
However, the economic, ecological, and social consequences are inevitable for any significant group of CAFOs at any point in time and for any individual CAFO over a significant period of time."
On water pollution, he said the EPA found waste generated by large-scale hog and other CAFOs had polluted over 35,000 miles of river and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.
"The environmental regulation of CAFOs has been far less stringent, and far less effective, than for other industries because CAFO supporters have been able to convince lawmakers that CAFOs are agricultural, not industrial, operations.
This expert in sustainable agriculture writes that negative effects on water quality are a consequence of waste from too many animals in areas too small to effectively assimilate it.
CAFOs should be regulated like any industrial operation, he wrote, and animal waste should be regulated much like human waste to protect public health.
Pig waste is 39 times more concentrated than human waste, "so animal waste can quite logically be thought of as a form of toxic waste.
Those who express scientifically justifiable concerns over the inevitable environmental effects of a CAFO located in an ecologically sensitive watershed are labeled by those behind CAFOs as emotional over-reactors and "radical, idealistic environmentalists who just don’t understand modern agriculture," Ikerd wrote.

Among the assistance services are programs for livestock operations whose grazing has been affected by disasters and an aid program covering losses not covered by federal insurance.
The program, based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration drought rating, evaluated each farmer based on the number, type and size of cows and the grazing area, farmer Mike Dee said.
Smith, who runs the XTRA Ranch, a cattle operation on 2,500 acres with his wife Erin, and other cattle farmers who typically rely on hay and rye grass to feed their livestock over the winter began feeding their herds hay earlier than usual as the drought dried up pastures.
They have to have grass," Dee said.
The issue is compounded because farmers must look for quality hay, which meets the nutritional needs of the herd.
While selling may mitigate the cost of feeding a herd, it potentially still ends with a loss.
Dee, Runge and Smith said calves were not worth as much last fall because there were a lot on the market.
Smith chose to sell market-ready calves and continued as if it were a normal year, he said, even though he operated at a loss.
Row crops Crop insurance provides some security year to year for row crop producers.
In addition to cattle, Dee grows corn and soybeans on about 3,500 acres.