Southern Crops Thrive While Northern NSW Awaits Winter Rain
Latest ABARES report highlights strong winter conditions in the south as northern producers continue monitoring dry weather.
Southern Australia’s winter cropping regions continue to benefit from favourable growing conditions, while much of northern New South Wales, including parts of the Northern Rivers, remained largely dry during the latest reporting period.
The latest ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update shows that, during the week ending 15 July 2026, cold fronts and low-pressure systems delivered useful rainfall across southern and central Australia, while Queensland, northern New South Wales and much of Western Australia recorded little to no rainfall.
Cropping regions across South Australia, Victoria and southern New South Wales received between 5 and 25 millimetres of rain. These falls have helped maintain healthy soil moisture levels and continue supporting the growth of winter crops.
In contrast, cropping regions throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales remained largely dry, with producers continuing to closely monitor seasonal conditions as winter progresses.
Looking ahead, ABARES forecasts further cold fronts and low-pressure systems will move across parts of eastern and south-western Australia over the coming week. Forecast rainfall of 5 to 50 millimetres is expected across cropping regions of Western Australia, providing a timely boost following a relatively dry start to July.
Most other cropping regions, including northern New South Wales, are forecast to remain largely dry.
While the Northern Rivers is better known for livestock, sugar cane, horticulture, macadamias and other high-value agricultural industries than broadacre cropping, the region’s producers will continue watching rainfall and soil moisture conditions closely as spring approaches.
Internationally, seasonal conditions have varied across many of the world’s major grain and oilseed-producing regions.
According to ABARES, growing conditions have generally remained favourable for wheat, maize, soybeans and rice, although unfavourable weather across parts of the United States, India, the European Union and South-East Asia continues to weigh on production prospects for some crops.
Overall, the global outlook has improved slightly since ABARES released its June Agricultural Commodities Report, with small improvements in worldwide wheat and maize production expected to lift overall grain and oilseed output beyond earlier forecasts.
Meanwhile, water availability across Australia’s major irrigation districts has improved.
Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin increased by 400 gigalitres between 9 and 16 July, bringing total storage to 12,432 gigalitres, or 56 per cent of total capacity.
Despite the increase, storage levels remain 983 gigalitres, or around 7 per cent, lower than they were at the same time last year.
Water allocation prices also eased during the week, with prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke falling from $426 per megalitre to $403 per megalitre.
As winter continues, producers across northern New South Wales will be watching seasonal conditions closely, while southern cropping regions remain well supported by healthy soil moisture and recent rainfall.
The latest findings are contained in the ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update.
