ABARES September 2026: Winter Grains Firm As Faba Beans Ease

Simon Hutt

Sep 1

3 min read

Updated: Sep 1

We have conducted a thorough review of ABARES's September 2026 Australian Crop Report, released 1 September, and the headline story is a divergence: the big three winter grains all pushed higher, while faba beans - our core business - eased on the back of a tougher season through northern NSW.

Wheat, barley and canola production estimates were all lifted sharply from June, up 11.7%, 16.2% and 17.6% respectively, with production gains outpacing area gains in every case - in our view, a clear signal that ABARES now holds a stronger national yield outlook than it did three months ago.

Faba beans moved the other way, if only modestly. National production eased 1.8% to 858.7kmt as a sharp NSW pullback (-11.8%) reflected the poorer cropping conditions through the state's north.

Victoria and South Australia did most of the work absorbing that loss, both lifting yield to push production up 8.9% and 3.5% respectively - enough to hold the national figure close to flat rather than let the NSW decline flow straight through.

Faba Beans Ease On Northern NSW, Victoria And SA Pick Up The Difference

National faba bean production eased to 858.7kmt in September, down 1.8% from June's 874.7kmt, on a 6.8% cut to area to 413,000ha.

The national dip is a Northern NSW story. NSW faba bean area fell from 170,000ha to 150,000ha, and production from 323.0kmt to 285.0kmt - both down 11.8%, consistent with the poorer cropping conditions reported through the state's north.

Victoria and South Australia offset most of that loss. Victorian production rose 8.9% to 292.6kmt on flat area, and South Australian production rose 3.5% to 220.1kmt despite a 5% cut to area - both states lifting yield rather than area.

Queensland's small faba bean program eased from 25.0kmt to 17.0kmt; Western Australia held close to flat at 44.0kmt.

ABARES does not break out broad beans separately from faba beans in this data - the state figures above cover the combined faba/broad bean line as ABARES publishes it.

Wheat, Barley And Canola All Revised Higher

The three largest winter crops were all revised up against June, on both area and production, with production gains outpacing area gains in each case.

That points to a stronger national yield outlook than ABARES held in June. Western Australia and NSW remain the largest contributors to the wheat and barley totals; Victoria and WA lead canola area.

Other Pulses And Oats: Lupins Down, The Rest Little Changed

Lupins carry the largest move of the group, down 12.8% nationally on production, as Western Australian area was cut from 500,000ha to 450,000ha. Chickpeas, field peas, lentils and oats are all within about 3% of their June figures on production.

Sorghum Receives Its First Forecast Of The Season

September is ABARES's first forecast for summer crops each season - June's sorghum line read "n/a" for 2026/27. ABARES now puts national sorghum production at 1,905.1kmt from 592,100ha, concentrated in Queensland (400,000ha, 1,300.0kmt) and NSW (190,000ha, 600.0kmt).