According to ABARES, Australian sugar production is forecast to fall by 2 per cent to 4.7 million tonnes in 2017-2018[1], but exports should remain at a similar level to previous recent volumes.
The effects of Tropical Cyclone Debbie, which caused considerable devastation to sugar cane producing areas in Queensland in March 2017, and unfavourably dry weather in the months leading up to this, combined to impact on cane production.
While Australian sugar export volumes are expected to remain largely unchanged over the 2017-2018 timeframe with strong demand from China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea, the value of exports is forecast to fall due to lower world prices.[2]
[1] ABARES 2017, Agricultural commodities: December quarter 2017. CC BY 4.0
[2] ABARES 2017, Agricultural commodities: December quarter 2017. CC BY 4.0
