World wheat forecast up despite El Niño

28 August 1997

World wheat forecast up despite El Niño

WORLD wheat production forecasts have been revised upwards, despite droughts in the Southern Hemisphere cause by the El Niño effect.

The new figure – 586 million tonnes, up 1mt on last months forecast – follows bumper crops in the US. Production is expected to rise in China, India and Russia, too. Last years world production was 581mt.

However, quality is expected to be poorer than last year, with more used as feed wheat. This will have a knock-on effect on other feed grains.