Vetch hay a saviour at Barraport, between Boort and Quambatook
VETCH hay has been the bright spot in the Kane family’s cropping operation at Barraport.
VETCH hay has been the bright spot in the Kane family’s cropping operation at Barraport, between Boort and Quambatook.
When The Weekly Times visited Joe and Matt Kane in May, they were sowing their 2000ha cropping program with confidence after 90mm of rain. They began harvesting peas and barley at the weekend.
The peas were not yielding well but they would get their seed back, Joe said. And the barley was yielding about 1.8 tonnes a hectare, well below their average of 2.5 tonnes.
But Mr Kane believed the decision not to plant canola and instead plant peas paid off and their vetch was reasonable.
“The vetch hay yielded about two tonnes a hectare, and the price has gone up to about $260/tonne on farm and it’s only going to go higher,” he said.
Mr Kane said their lower than average production was as a result of poor rainfall since July, and the biggest rain event they received in August was about 10mm.
Mice inflict grain pain
A mice outbreak is causing havoc across summer cropping areas. Here’s what’s being affected.
Saudi Arabia a barley saviour
After losing China as a market, a large volume of Australian barley has found a home.