Weather watch
The six months between October 2016 and April 2017 have delivered good seasonal conditions across much of WA as seen in the rainfall map in Figure 20. The Kimberley has had rainfall levels that are either the highest on record or very much above average for the northern wet season which will hopefully translate to good feed and water availability for the coming season.
The rest of WA has had good summer rain and has deciles that are generally above average or very much above average with only a small proportion of the state recording average rainfall over the summer.
These good conditions paired with strong prices give a sense of optimism to the WA industry and may lead producers to retain cattle to grow their herds.
Figure 20 Rainfall deciles from October 2016 to April 2017 (Source: The Bureau of Meteorology)