# Winter crop down, summer plantings up: ABARES - Grain Central

> ABARES forecasts Australian winter crop production at 34.9 million tonnes in 2017-18, down 41% from the record 2016-17 crop. Late spring rain improved soil moisture and is expected to lift summer crop plantings 13% to 1.5 million hectares, with sorghum around 2 Mt.

- Date: 2017-12-12 · published 2017-12-12T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region Australia · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/67429-winter-crop-down-summer-plantings-up-abares-grain-central
- Commodities: [Wheat (SRW)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WHEAT.md), [Barley](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARLEY.md), [Sorghum](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SORGHUM.md)

## Why it matters

A much smaller Australian winter crop tightens feed grain and wheat supplies for export buyers, supporting prices for barley, sorghum and wheat. Low global grain prices, however, cap the rally.

## Read by commodity

- WHEAT: bullish ▲
- BARLEY: bullish ▲
- SORGHUM: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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% |
| 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 | 2026-05-26 | [Rabo sees winter-crop area down 8pc on year to 23.1Mha - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/19236-rabo-sees-winter-crop-area-down-8pc-on-year-to-23-1mha-grain-central.md) | -0.7% | +0.2% |
| WHEAT | 2018-06-12 | [Dry puts the squeeze on national winter crop prospects: ABARES - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/64492-dry-puts-the-squeeze-on-national-winter-crop-prospects-abares-grain-central.md) | -0.9% | -6.9% |
| WHEAT | 2025-06-02 | [ABARES releases initial forecasts for winter crops - Grain Central](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24166-abares-releases-initial-forecasts-for-winter-crops-grain-central.md) | +2.9% | +1.7% |

## Sources

- graincentral.com: https://www.graincentral.com/news/winter-crop-down-summer-plantings-up-abares/

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