Harvest kicks off for Mallee grain growers

Headers have rolled out in the Mallee as harvest ramps up. Here’s what yields are reaching.

Let’s do this: Brayden Botheras ready to harvest canola. Brayden says he has had a pretty good year despite many frosts and yields should still be average or above. Picture: ZOE PHILLIPS

HARVEST is well under way in the Mallee, with headers in full force and growers “champing at the bit” to get crops off.

For Brayden Botheras, who farms near Birchip, canola harvest has just finished, with the grain expected to reach about 2 tonnes a hectare.

“We are still unsure what wheat (yields) will reach, but it has done better than expected and could maybe reach 3.5 to 4 tonnes a hectare,” Mr Botheras said.

“It should be average to above average yield-wise for the year.”

But things weren’t looking promising all season for the grower.

“The start of the year was ideal for crops after receiving good summer rain last year which allowed crops to be sown into a full moisture profile,” Mr Botheras said.

“But mid-year the season turned pear shaped.”

He said his crops were hit with 25 frosts in 60 days, and received scarce winter rain.

“Things looked dismal,” he said. But sufficient end-of-season rain finished crops off, Mr Botheras said.

“For 2020 we had about 350mm of rain and for the growing season we had about 200mm. It (the season) has all come together.”

Canola being harvested at Brayden Botheras’ property in the Mallee. Picture: Zoe Phillips.

Most growers around Birchip are towards the end of their canola harvest, according to Birchip Cropping Group senior manager researcher James Murray.

“People are optimistic and thrilled; they are champing at the bit to get it off,” Mr Murray said.

He said canola delivered around 2.8 to 3 tonnes a hectare for growers in the area.

“But with lentils and barley having more of a weather risk, growers will turn to getting that off now — as a canola risk is not huge,” he said.

With Birchip still about 10 days away from harvesting wheat, Mr Murray said he expected yields to get 3.5 tonnes to 4 tonnes a hectare. But he said some lower yields were expected in northern Mallee.

“The northern Mallee is 20 per cent through their program with lentils off and they will be turning to wheat,” he said.

While harvest was tracking well, at the weekend some weather concerns caused growers to pause, Mr Murray said.

“The weather was shocking with fire conditions, so growers knocked off early,” he said.

Mr Murray said crops had a kind spring and would have a natural finish rather than a forced one, and grain size was good.

However, grain protein may be low and downgrades could be possible, with struggles getting urea out this season.

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