Prospects for the developing 2000 summer coarse grains crops are generally satisfactory after heavy January rains in the main-producing areas of New South Wales and Queensland. However, output is provisionally forecast to fall somewhat reflecting reduced plantings. Because of an excess of animal feed pressuring the market many farmers chose to leave land fallow or reduced the area sown to sorghum, the main summer coarse grain crop. Output of sorghum is tentatively forecast at about 570 000 tonnes and 810 000 tonnes respectively in New South Wales and Queensland respectively, compared with 780 000 tonnes and 880 000 tonnes respectively in the previous year.
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