Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update, 5 June 2025

Key issues

• In the week ending 4 June 2025 cold fronts and low-pressure systems brought rainfall to parts of western and eastern Australia.
  • Cropping regions in Western Australia, Queensland and northern New South Wales received 5-100 millimetres of rainfall, while little or no rainfall was recorded in southern New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.
• Over the coming eight days, rainfall is expected across much of southern Australia.
  • 10-50 millimetres of rainfall is expected in southern cropping areas including southern New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. If realised, this should provide sufficient moisture to support the germination of dry sown winter crops in the southeast. In Western Australia, 5-25 millimetres is forecast.
• Most of northern and eastern Australia received average to above average rainfall over May 2025, while much of southern Australia recorded extremely low to below average rainfall.
  • The lack of rainfall during May, would have meant that most early planted winter crops across South Australia, Victoria and parts Western Australia would have been sown dry and still awaiting sufficient rainfall to support germination and establishment.
  • These very dry conditions coupled with little to no stored soil moisture is also likely to have discouraged some growers from committing to their full planting intentions, and lead to a change in the production mix away from canola to less input intensive crops like, wheat, barley and pulses.
• Pasture growth for the three months to May 2025 has been mixed across Australia.
  • Below average pasture growth across large areas of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, south-eastern Queensland, and north-eastern and southern New South Wales will likely see graziers in these regions actively destocking or becoming increasingly reliant on supplemental feed to maintain current stocking rates and production.
• Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) increased by 135 gigalitres (GL) between 29 May 2025 and 5 June 2025. The current volume of water held in storages is 12,517 GL, equivalent to 56% of total storage capacity. This is 26% or 4,422 GL less than at the same time last year. Water storage data is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology.
• Allocation prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke decreased from $291 on 29 May 2025 to $290 on 5 June 2025. Trade from the Goulburn to the Murray is closed. Trade downstream through the Barmah Choke is closed. Trade from the Murrumbidgee to the Murray is open.