While downgrading the quality of many winter crops, the November rain in NSW and Queensland has set up the industry for a bumper summer crop.
According to the latest forecasts from ABARE, the late spring rainfall in key growing regions has improved the outlook for grain sorghum yields.
However, it says irrigation water remains critical for cotton and rice.
"The total area planted to summer crops in 2008-09 is forecast to remain similar to the area planted last year," ABARE executive director Phillip Glyde said.
The area planted to grain sorghum in 2008-09 is forecast to fall by 15pc to 722,000 hectares, reflecting a fall in the area of fallow land available and significantly lower feed grain prices.
The area planted to cotton in 2008-09 is forecast to be more than double the previous year's planting, reflecting an improvement in key water storage levels, but will remain well below historical averages.
The area planted to rice is forecast to remain at historically low levels as availability of irrigation water for rice growing remains critically low.
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