Australia cuts wheat harvest forecast to 10-year low
Decline in exports expected as drought reduces crop
Australia has lowered its wheat production forecast by 11% to the smallest in a decade amid a crippling drought across the country’s east coast that may cut exports from the world’s fourth biggest supplier. Wheat production during the 2018/19 season will total 16.95-million tons, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (Abares) said. That was below its September estimate of 19.1-million tons, which was on course to be the lowest since 2008 when output hit just 13.6-million tons. Lower wheat production will reduce Australia’s wheat export capacity, supporting global benchmark prices that rose to their highest in more than two months on Monday. Australia typically exports two-thirds of its wheat, but with dry weather hampering local production demand from domestic millers will supplant major customers such as Indonesia. The outlook also casts a shadow over Australia’s economy and its largest listed bulk grain handler, GrainCorp, which earns most of it...
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