Dry Winter Conditions Causing Rapid Decline in Western Australia’s Wheat Yield

As dry weather continues in Western Australia, the Australian Export Grains Innovation Center (AEGIC), which maps predicted yields compared to the yields of the past 100 years, states that expected wheat yields in the state are rapidly declining.

Some limited regions in the far west of the Wheatbelt including Boddington, Boyup Brook, Wandering, Dandaragan, and Broomhill are faring well and are ranking in the top 10% of the past 100 years – but most of the Wheatbelt is now struggling after what seemed to be a strong start to the season.

“As we have gone further into winter that western Wheatbelt missed out [on rain] in June, and now we have had two weeks in July [with dry conditions] and the rankings have really started to slide compared to other years,” said Dr. David Stephens, supply dynamics manager for AEGIC. “So we have started very well but we are certainly slipping backwards as each dry day goes by."

Because the months of June, July, and August generally provide the bulk of the rainfall during the growing season, the lack of rain during these months can have a dramatic negative effect upon the rankings.

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