Crops shine: Little River grain grower having “best season yet”

It has been one of the best grain growing seasons for Little River grower Matthew Richmond. Here’s why.

Growing passion: Matthew Richmond says he needs only another 15mm of rain to bring his later sown crops to an optimum finish.
Picture: ZOE PHILLIPS

IT has been one of the best cropping seasons yet for ­Matthew Richmond at
Little River.

The sixth generation grain grower, who
produces wheat, canola, barley and oats, said he struggled with wet
conditions at sowing,
but rain in the following months came at the
perfect time.

“We made do with what we had (at sowing). It was just dry enough,” Mr Richmond said. And the
grower said he had a “magnificent” spring, with well-above-average rain.

“Spring was very good,” he said.

“We have had the best year that I can remember. It all fell into place; the
rain came when it was needed.”

While Mr Richmond had a good season last year, the timing of rain falling on crops this season had been ideal. “This year will be above average,” he said.

“Last year was another good year, but the
difference (this year)
was rain fell at the right time. Last year heads were already filled when the rain came.

“This year we had
perfect steady rain.”

Mr Richmond said he would now need only a few more millimetres to finish crops off nicely.

“We have some late crops in, so we will need about 15mm now until harvest to finish them,” he said.

According to the
Bureau of Meteorology, September rainfall at
Avalon — about 10km from Little River — recorded about 76mm of rain.

Last year, September yielded about 17mm.

So far this month, BOM statistics show Avalon has received about 29mm of rain.

For the whole month of October last year, a total of 22.6mm fell.

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