AUSTRALIAN WHEAT AREA TO FALL, FORECASTER SAYS Australian wheat plantings are forecast to fall to 10.40 mln hectares in 1987/88 from 11.72 mln sown in 1986/87, Australian Wheat Forecasters Pty Ltd (AWF) said in its first preliminary crop forecast. But there was no reason to expect Australian production in 1987/88 would be less than the 16.5 mln tonnes of last year, the private forecaster said, as crops in New South Wales and Queensland suffered from poor yields last season. Most of the fall in plantings was expected in Western Australia while state average yields would be assisted by growers sowing wheat on fallows and rest paddocks, it said. The main reason for a low Western Australia estimate was a poor profit outlook under cost, credit and yield pressures. But in the eastern states the wheat area should hold up provided that rainfall between now and June is not less than average, AWF said. Although some farmers were saying they intended to cut back wheat area by 20 pct, AWF said this was unlikely since they needed cash flow and there were problems with alternative crops. "The lack of statutory marketing for oilseeds, pulses and oats is a cause for concern if those crops are to comprise a high proportion of growers' income," AWF said. AWF's state area forecasts in mln hectares, with 1986/87 production in mln tonnes, are as follows (crop forecasts were not given for the new wheat year) Area Crop 1987/88 1986/87 1986/87 Queensland 0.82 0.82 0.95 N.S.W. 3.07 3.17 4.40 Victoria 1.53 1.63 3.25 S.Australia 1.45 1.64 2.30 W.Australia 3.53 4.46 5.60