# Rabo sees winter-crop area down 8pc on year to 23.1Mha - Grain Central

> Rabobank forecasts Australia's winter cropping area at 23.1 million hectares for 2026-27, down 8% on last year and 4.3% below the five-year average. Wheat plantings are expected to fall 20.4% to 9.8 million hectares, while barley, canola and pulse area rises. The decline is attributed to mixed weather and higher input costs.

- Date: 2026-05-26 · published 2026-05-26T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region Australia · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/19236-rabo-sees-winter-crop-area-down-8pc-on-year-to-23-1mha-grain-central
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Barley](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARLEY.md), [Canola Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CANMEAL.md)

## Why it matters

Smaller wheat plantings point to lower Australian supply and support wheat prices. Rising barley and canola area could add feed and meal supply.

## Read by commodity

- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- BARLEY: neutral
- CANMEAL: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2023-05-31 | [Winter crop inputs, area, rise: Rabobank - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35905-winter-crop-inputs-area-rise-rabobank-grain-central.md) | -3.2% | +9.0% |
| WHEAT | 2017-12-12 | [Winter crop down, summer plantings up: ABARES - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/67429-winter-crop-down-summer-plantings-up-abares-grain-central.md) | +1.4% | +2.5% |
| WHEAT | 2017-06-14 | [Winter crop down from record 2016-17, but still set for five-year average - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/70447-winter-crop-down-from-record-2016-17-but-still-set-for-five-year-average-grain.md) | +0.6% | +1.3% |
| WHEAT | 2017-12-05 | [Winter crop set to fall to 35.1 million tonnes: ABARES - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/67431-winter-crop-set-to-fall-to-35-1-million-tonnes-abares-grain-central.md) | -4.7% | -2.6% |
| WHEAT | 2019-12-03 | [Winter crop slips below 30Mt: ABARES - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55530-winter-crop-slips-below-30mt-abares-grain-central.md) | -4.1% | -1.4% |

## Sources

- graincentral.com: https://www.graincentral.com/news/rabo-sees-winter-crop-area-down-8pc-on-year-to-23-1mha/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.