Fed: Grain crops up for 2001- 2002, ABS survey

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Fed: Grain crops up for 2001- 2002, ABS survey

CANBERRA, Jan 17 AAP - Australia's large grain crops were at or near record levelsprior to the recent drought, survey results have shown.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Agricultural survey for the year ending June30, 2002 found wheat production increased over the previous year by 12 per cent to 24.9million tonnes.

Production in Western Australia increased by 36 per cent and in South Australia by 18 per cent.

There were increased plantings in all major barley growing states with production up25 per cent to 8.4 million tonnes.

Oat grain production increased by 37 per cent to …