# Australian wheat farmers plant in dust bowl and pray for rain - The Business Times

> Australian farmers are planting wheat into some of the driest soils in years after a severe drought cut 2017/18 output to a decade low. Growers must finish planting by end of May and are relying on rain across east and west coast regions.

- Date: 2018-05-01 · published 2018-05-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region Australia · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/64975-australian-wheat-farmers-plant-in-dust-bowl-and-pray-for-rain-the-business-times
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Wheat (HRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/KWHEAT.md), [Barley](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARLEY.md)

## Why it matters

Continued dryness threatens a second poor Australian crop, tightening exports from the world's fourth-largest wheat exporter and supporting wheat prices.

## Read by commodity

- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- BARLEY: bullish ▲
- KWHEAT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WHEAT | 2026-06-22 | [After drought and wildfires, wheat farmers in the Great Plains are in for a rough year \| HPPR](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18863-after-drought-and-wildfires-wheat-farmers-in-the-great-plains-are-in-for-a.md) | -1.6% | +1.9% |
| WHEAT | 2025-04-02 | [Analysts forecast a decrease in wheat production in Australia in the new season](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25087-analysts-forecast-a-decrease-in-wheat-production-in-australia-in-the-new-season.md) | -0.8% | +1.9% |
| WHEAT | 2023-11-24 | [India. Dry soil makes Indian farmers wary of planting wheat, despite rally](https://feedsoft.ai/events/33139-india-dry-soil-makes-indian-farmers-wary-of-planting-wheat-despite-rally.md) | -0.0% | -1.1% |
| WHEAT | 2023-07-28 | [Australia forecasts 34% decline in wheat production](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35012-australia-forecasts-34-decline-in-wheat-production.md) | -0.1% | -2.1% |
| WHEAT | 2020-01-23 | [Farming across the ditch in Australia](https://feedsoft.ai/events/55026-farming-across-the-ditch-in-australia.md) | -4.6% | -0.1% |
| KWHEAT | 2026-06-22 | [After drought and wildfires, wheat farmers in the Great Plains are in for a rough year \| HPPR](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18863-after-drought-and-wildfires-wheat-farmers-in-the-great-plains-are-in-for-a.md) | -5.1% | +12.4% |
| KWHEAT | 2018-02-08 | [Dry conditions in the Plains could boost wheat prices \| Capital Press](https://feedsoft.ai/events/66544-dry-conditions-in-the-plains-could-boost-wheat-prices-capital-press.md) | -2.3% | +8.1% |
| KWHEAT | 2024-11-20 | [Russian farmers ditch wheat for other crops after heavy losses](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27441-russian-farmers-ditch-wheat-for-other-crops-after-heavy-losses.md) | -1.4% | -1.7% |

## Sources

- businesstimes.com.sg: https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/energy-commodities/australian-wheat-farmers-plant-dust-bowl-and-pray-rain

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