Fed: Rice and cotton production to be well down: ABARE

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Fed: Rice and cotton production to be well down: ABARE

CANBERRA, Feb 18 AAP - Irrigated rice and cotton crops will be well down because ofthe drought, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) saidtoday.

In its first forecast for the year, ABARE said it expected rice production to fall71 per cent to 370,000 tonnes.

Just 46,000 hectares have been planted with rice.

ABARE said the rice crop, which is largely taken from southern NSW, had been hit becauseof the lack of rain.

"Despite good growing conditions, decreased water availability has affected the areaplanted and production," ABARE said.

The nation's cottonlint production is expected to be down 62 per cent to just 262,000 tonnes.

In NSW, cotton lint production is expected to be down 59 per cent to 207,000 tonnes,while cottonseed production is tipped to be down 59 per cent to 293,000 tonnes.

The Queensland cotton crop has also been hit by the drought, with lint production down70 per cent to 55,000 tonnes while cottonseed production is expected to fall to 78,000tonnes.

AAP sw/sb/drp/ts

KEYWORD: ABARE IRRIGATION