Australia's winter crop production including wheat is expected to touch records after favorable winter and spring growing conditions boosted agriculture, the government's chief commodities forecaster reported Tuesday.

A significant recovery in production in Western Australia is the primary driver behind the forecast record production of winter crops, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences said in a quarterly Crop Report.

"While production in the eastern states is forecast to be smaller than the record crop last year, it is still expected to be one of the largest on record," Abares' acting executive director Terry Sheales said in an accompanying statement.

National wheat production this crop year now is forecast to reach 28.3 million tons, climbing 8.0% from a September estimate and rising 1.4% from revised production for last crop year ended March 31, 2011 of 27.9 million tons, Abares reported.

Australia usually is a major global supplier of traded wheat and exports large quantities of other winter grains including barley and canola.

Australian wheat exports will rise to a record 21.6 million tons this shipping year that started Oct. 1, up from 18.6 million tons in the previous year.

Barley production this crop year now is forecast at 8.5 million tons, rising 4.9% on year.

Total production of winter crops in 2011-12 will reach a record yield 43.4 million tons, rising 5.9% from a September forecast and gaining 2.1% from actual output in 2010-11 of a revised 41.0 million tons, Abares estimated.

-By Ray Brindal, Dow Jones Newswires; +61-2-6208-0902; ray.brindal@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 05, 2011 18:11 ET (23:11 GMT)