Page 12 - Australian Pork Newspaper

AusScan Monthly Early Harvest Report for February 2022 scans
Fig 1: Summer and winter crop production, Australia, 2021-22.
THE data set in Table 1 summarises the number of NIR scans completed within February 2022 for each mill and includes new seasons grain.
million tonnes in 2021-22. This represents an up- ward revision of 6 percent from the December 2021 edition of the Australian
crops were in good condi- tion at the end of winter, which was followed by favourable conditions over spring, providing an excel- lent base for high yields nationally.
This month, AusScan Online was also able to include a small number of scans for wheat from a feed mill in the Western Aus- tralia region.
Crop Report.
Production of wheat,
However, record No- vember rainfall in most cropping regions in NSW and Queensland led to weather damage and delays in harvests.
The report is not able to identify the proportion of new seasons grain or separate out weather dam- aged grain.
These records are driven by wheat production in Western Australia, which had a favourable growing season – the only mainland Australian state to have no problems with falling numbers an indicator of sprouted grain, as the wheat harvest was efficient and dry.
Widespread quality downgrades to feed wheat in NSW due to low falling number was between 40-45 percent, representing 5-6 million tonnes from a total of 13 million tonnes.
The following is adapted from the Australian Crop Report, National Over- view, March 1, 2022 – awe. gov.au/abares/research- topics/agricultural-out look/australian-cropreport/ overview
A common trade-off of high yields can be the sub- sequent dilution of protein levels, and this was notice- able in Western Australia, where lower than average qualities of wheat were ob- served.
Some of the feed wheat has a high-protein profile – about 13 percent – which may be appealing to feed formulators looking to re- duce inclusion rates of the current high-priced soy- bean meals.
Harvesting of winter crops this season is now complete.
In other states, grain quality has been mostly av- erage and as expected.
Total winter crop produc- tion is estimated to be 61.9
Conversely, NSW had a near-record production, as
barley and canola are all estimated to have reached new national records.
Page 12 – Australian Pork Newspaper, April 2022
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