IT has been a “frustratingly” slow start to grain harvest in the Mallee, as moist conditions keep some headers in sheds.
Quambatook grain grower Brett Hosking said although rain had delayed the start of the season, thankfully there hadn’t been the damaging winds or hail events to decimate crops, with some in the southern Mallee still green enough to withstand wild conditions.
“Frustratingly slow start is what most farmers would be telling you because we would love to be into it, but just had these rain events come through,” he said.
“So far nothing that will do any damage, but just holding up proceedings.”
North West Ag Services reported 21mm had fallen in the wheat belt district of Quambatook so far in November, with anywhere between 20 and 40mm forecast tomorrow and five to 10mm on Sunday.
Mr Hosking said floods in central New South Wales were also delaying the arrival of headers to help harvest bumper crops.
“It’s not what we want to hear right on the cusp of harvest, but we farm in the Australian climate and that’s what we get dished up sometimes,” he said.
Grain receival and storage company GrainCorp received 14,680 tonnes from Victoria in the week to November 15, up from just 820 tonnes on November 8.
“For this time of the year it’s slim because typically around Melbourne Cup the headers are rolling and we see activity,” Mr Hosking.
“Two weeks post that and we are just starting to get headers out onto paddocks … the season has flagged on a bit, but lots of opportunity still out there.
“A fine few weeks would be really nice.”
In a weekly update, GrainCorp said rain across NSW had caused a stop-start harvest with receivals delayed in several areas, but activity was expected to pick up again this week.
“Victorian growers can take advantage of a clearer forecast this week, but it’s still early days with plenty of green crops around,” they said.
“To early to tell effects of rain events on quality or volumes across the network, with many areas yet to start harvest expecting minimal impact.”
Mr Hosking said crops were at the early stages of being ready as GrainCorp invested in expanding its storage capacity across Victoria.
“What we do now is it’s going to be a relatively large harvest, particularly right down the east coast,” he said.
“Some of the early numbers out of the WA shows they’re having a really good year, too.
“Storage is going to be really important, particularly if it’s rain delayed, to make sure we can get trucks in and out and unloaded in the shortest time possible and back into the paddocks.”
Mr Hosking said international labour to drive headers and machinery continued to be challenged by closed borders, but reported innovative ideas from some growers.
“I think at this point, most farmers have been able to procure a workforce they need,” he said.
“They are juggling all sorts of challenges of borders not being able to be crossed, then suddenly able to and then issue of workers being vaccinated thrown into the mix.
“We heard of some really innovative solutions such as one grower who had a teacher knocking off after class and going to sit on the header, just so the grower could have a bit of a break, go home, have a dinner and rest for the next day.”
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) estimated more than 55 million metric tonnes (mmt) of grain was produced across Australia from the 2020/21 winter harvest, with just under 30mmt produced on the east coast.
The June 2021 ABARES crop report is forecasting 46.8mmt production across Australia for the 2021/22 winter crop, with over 22mmt of that on the east coast.
GrainCorp’s network has taken in approximately 16mmt from growers last harvest (2020/21), eclipsing the company’s previous bumper crop season in 2016/17, where 15mmt was delivered.
