Crops at risk as mice numbers explode in NSW

Mice could wreak havoc for grain growers ahead of sowing this season as numbers in NSW soar. And the pests have now been found in parts of Victoria.

Mice are attacking some cotton crops in NSW, which has previously been unheard of, GrainGrowers chair Brett Hosking says.

MICE numbers in NSW are erupting and concerns are mounting over the upcoming winter crop sowing period.

The outbreak is most concerning in the north of NSW, according to GrainGrowers chairman and Quambatook farmer Brett Hosking, with the pests expected to move on after exhausting their food supply there.

“We are seeing it the worst in the north of NSW at the moment, for sorghum in particular, that is getting a hard time,” GrainGrowers chairman Brett Hosking said.

“Protecting sorghum crops is paramount at the moment – I have heard of growers having challenges as they have harvested sorghum with mice faeces having to be cleaned before it can be delivered.”

And mice were also attacking cotton crops for the first time, he said.

The growing issue has prompted NSW Farmers to request an Emergency Use Permit for zinc phosphide to treat seed.

“This will allow farmers to have their own grain professionally treated, removing the biosecurity risks posed by using foreign seed,” NSW Farmers president James Jackson said.

Mr Jackson said NSW Farmers was also seeking some financial assistance through a small grants program.

Meanwhile mice numbers were now emerging in Victoria, according to Mr Hosking, with growers in the northwest of the state and the Wimmera reporting issues.

“Parts of Victoria had pretty good crop yields and again it is a similar situation – although not quite as bad as NSW – where there has been a bit of grain left on the ground and mice in localised areas are taking advantage of that,” he said.

“We have seen it before, here in Victoria, just how devastating they can be,” he said.

“Mice can breed extremely quickly and do some quite serious damage to grain just sown into a paddock.

“On my own place – as we spend a bit of time in the spray tractor across paddocks – we have certainly taken note of where mice activity is or isn’t in preparation for the sowing program.”

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