Victorian grain growers rush to finish harvest before downpour

A midsummer downpour has forced southern Victorian grain growers to pause harvest, with some areas receiving more than 20mm on Monday.

Some grain growers’ harvest was paused this week after heavy rain fell in parts of Victoria.

GRAIN growers in southern Victoria were “going like cut cats” to get canola harvested before this Monday’s heavy rain spoiled their yields.

Heavy rain fell across much of Victoria’s southern cropping regions early this week, forcing farmers keen to get into their harvesting to park headers and wait it out.

In the Hamilton district totals of 20-30mm were received on Monday and into early Tuesday morning. While this was welcomed by graziers with green pastures of summer fodder crops, grain growers were less enthusiastic.

In the Skipton region, 10-15mm had fallen by Tuesday morning with a further 10mm expected.

The mad rush to harvest canola before the wet weather was worthwhile, according to WesternAg agronomist Gerard O’Brien.

“Canola has been the shining light this year, Roundup Ready canola has had very high yields, 3.5-4t/ha and extremely high oil content, 47-51 per cent,” he said.

Mr O’Brien, who covers the Skipton, Derrinallum and Ballarat regions, said the high oil content canolas in the south west would pay well for growers, potentially adding around an addition $50/tonne to prices.

“The gradual finish we had to the season really helped Roundup Ready canola,” he said.

“And on yields, 2.5t/ha or 3t/ha was always the benchmark so anything above that is terrific,” he said.

Mr O’Brien said the good yields were thanks to the season but also to higher applications of Urea. Rates used had increased from 200kg/ha to 500kg/ha, returning better yields at a returns to cost ratio of 3:1.

In the south west very little wheat had been harvested yet, but Mr O’Brien said growers were “not yet too concerned”.

“It is only really a worry when crops are really ripe, but if it keeps going it will be and we could see some sprouting,” he said.

Many barley crops have been harvested and yields have been massive – 6.5 to 9t/ha and much of this made malting grade, he said, with the variety Planet yielding best.

Oats had also delivered big tonnages, pulling in 5.5 to 7t/ha.

“Probably half the beans have been harvested and yields have been good; but there isn’t a market for them this year and the weather has meant stain is an issue,” he said.

Meanwhile, the lower Wimmera was well into harvest with most growers at least two thirds the way through their harvest.

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