Southern farmers face worst season ever
8 Oct 2008

Victorian farmers are asking state and federal governments to repeat the $20,000 cash grants to irrigators and 50 per cent subsidies on municipal rates that helped them through last year''s drought affected season. Some farmers have received municipal rate increases of up to 68 per cent while irrigators must pay water bills in full, depite not receiving the full allocation. This season is shaping up as one of the worst in the state''s history as northern grain growers start cutting crops for hay, dairy farmers feedlot their herds and horticulture growers ponder their viability. Inflows into the Grampians and northern Victoria''s irrigation storages are at record lows following a failed autumn and disastrous September.

The Weekly Times, 08/10/2008

ABARE says the winter wheat crop is now forecast at 12.1 million tonnes, compared with a previous estimate of 15.5 million tonnes and the original estimate of 22.5 million tonnes in June. Exports have also been slashed by 18%.(http://www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/cr/cr_07/cr07_oct.pdf)

This forecast is under the one earlier this month from the US Department of Agriculture which estimated Australia's harvest at 13.5 million tonnes, compared to 21 million tonnes in September and 23 million tonnes in the first estimate in August. That will be updated in about two weeks.

http://www.abnnewswire.net/press/en/43893/Australasian-Investment-Review...