Curyo’s Edward Rickard plants more wheat after later-than- expected rainfall

Recent rain has prompted Curyo’s Rickard family to reassess their cropping options.

Eddie Rickard with Kelpie Louie sowing Vixen wheat at Curyo. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Rain in the past fortnight has prompted Southern Mallee’s Rickard family to pull their airseeder out of the shed to sow more wheat.

Edward Rickard, who farmed with parents Jim and Patrice and brother Matthew at Curyo and Watchupga, said the family had planned to plant all their 3640 hectare farm to crops but the late start to the season and low rainfall since the beginning of the year prompted them to only sow 2420ha.

But 10-15mm of rain for each of the past two weeks and more forecast for the end of this week, meant they decided to plant another 400ha of wheat.

Some other farmers in the district were also planting more crop after becoming more confident with the rain forecasts.

Mr Rickard said the lack of rain until now had upset their normal sowing program.

“We originally planned to sow about 2000 acres (800ha) of canola but decided not to plant any,” he said.

“The prospects for canola weren’t great because of the late break and low subsoil moisture and it is an expensive crop to grow.

“We’ve sown about 40 per cent to lentils, 50 per cent to wheat and 10 per cent to barley.”

Mr Rickard said they would normally sow a higher percentage to barley but had cut back in area due to the lower prices.

Last year, they planted a lot of lentils and the crop produced well.

The Rickards decided to plant more lentils at the expense of barley and wheat this year due to high prices for the pulse crop.

Mr Rickard joined his family on the farm after graduating with an economics and finance degree at RMIT in 2012 and spending eight years working for financial services companies, including three years in London from 2015 to 2018 with Investec Asset Management.

He is responsible for the doing the farm books and enjoys working out the cost and benefits of farm inputs.

This week, the Rickards began spreading urea on the early sown cereals with impending rain making it an attractive option.

But the outlook has changed in just a couple of weeks.

“In a best-case scenario, we are looking at a little bit above average yields for the season,” Mr Rickard said.

“The late break and low subsoil moisture, we are not tracking great.

“The last little bit of rain has helped.

“Yields will be down but it is not all doom and gloom.”

MORE

FLOOD IMPACT ON VICTORIAN FARMERS REVEAL

BUYERS FACE CHALLENGE IN HUNT FOR QUALITY HAY

PAKISTAN DEAL OFFERS GRAIN OF PROMISE