Timely rains have spared Australia significant drought damage to its wheat crop, Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke said, although private forecasters warned that many regions  are not in the clear yet.

The harvest in the world's fourth-largest wheat exporter was on course to meet official estimates of about 22m tonnes, up 600,000 tonnes on last year, Mr Burke said.

"We are looking at the moment like areas that we had thought there had been a significant downgrade in, that the rainfall has come through in time," he said.

Western Australia, the country's biggest wheat-growing state, was "on-track" for its second-largest wheat harvest ever, with crops in South Australia looking "very strong".

"Overall the grain crop is still looking quite strong," he said. "Some parts of the country are doing exceptionally well."

'Rain is needed' 

The comments come amid waning fears over the onset of an El Nino weather pattern, which typically brings drought to Australia.

While official Australian weather forecasters still believe an El Nino is odds on, many of its vital signs appear weak.

Nonetheless, the Australian winter wheat crop, much if which is entering the sensitive early reproductive phase, is not yet clear of potential drought damage.

Meteorlogix, the privately owned weather service, said: "Rain is needed to help ease developing stress to this crop, after below normal late winter rains."