Western Australia’s grain association has cut its forecast for the state’s wheat production again due to hot weather, with most of the overall grains harvest expected to be finished by the end of December.

The majority of wheat crops have suffered from drier conditions and yields have been coming in lower than anticipated at the start of harvest, according to a monthly report from the Grain Industry Association of Western Australia. The state is the nation’s biggest exporter of the food staple.

The gathering of grains across the state is scheduled to be completed several weeks earlier than normal, and barley has been a standout crop so far, the association said. Overall, the lack of spring rain shortened the season and severely limited the potential of any crops that were later emerging.

Australia was baked by dry weather over September and October, and the onset of El Niño is expected to extend the warmer conditions into next year. The Australian government will provide forecasts on the nation’s overall grain production early next month, including wheat and canola.

Read More: Graincorp Says Australian Crop Yields Strong as Harvest Builds

Western Australia crop estimate for the 2023 season:

• Wheat: 7.85m tons
• Barley: 3.65m tons
• Canola: 2.27m tons

Crop estimates from October report:

• Wheat: 8.13m tons
• Barley: 3.84m tons
• Canola: 2.22m tons