Farmers escape the worst of grain downgrades

An early harvest has saved croppers from bearing the brunt of extensive downgrades after intermittent storms and hail in spring.

An early harvest has saved grain and cropping farmers from bearing the brunt of extensive downgrades.

Incessant rain and late-season hail during October and November have caused significant damage, but many in the industry say it could have been much worse.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains committee vice chairman Ryan Milgate, of Minyip, said his region had escaped the bulk of heavy downpours from recent summer storms.

“The wheat we are harvesting is being stored on a farm, so we haven’t run the numbers yet to know of any quality issues, but visually, there’s no reason to suspect anything,” he said.

Ryan Milgate in a crop on his farm near Minyip in Victoria's Wimmera region. Picture: James Wagstaff

Mr Milgate estimated they were 55 to 60 per cent of the way through harvest.

He hoped to be finished before Christmas but conceded the intermittent rainfall and storms on the forecast could stall that.

“We have finished canola and lentils and have wheat and barley left to go,” he said.

He said the cropping season at his place had been good except for some late-season frost, which affected lentils in October.

Southern NSW crop insurance consultant Alan Brown. Picture: Brad Newman

Simon Moloney was just days off finishing the winter harvest of 2023 when more rain arrived at Downside in southern NSW, where he grows wheat and canola.

Storms swept through southern NSW and Victoria last Wednesday evening, and once again, the headers were forced to stop.

Despite a dry spring and rainfall at harvest, Mr Moloney said things had been better than expected.

He said farmers were taking quality downgrades in their stride and were hopefully making up for it with some decent yields.

Mr Moloney hoped to return to the header to complete harvesting his Beckom wheat crop after the latest round of rain.

Crop insurance consultant Alan Brown of Wagga Wagga in southern NSW said, fortunately, many farmers had finished harvest before the rain and storms came through.

However, he heard reports of wheat being shot and sprung due to the rain, and those areas to the east towards Yass were most affected.

In addition, he said there was crop damage from hail.

“There was significant damage in canola crops from Wagga Wagga, Junee and Marrar from hail in November,” he said.

Mr Brown said a wheat crop at Marrar experienced up to 70 per cent loss due to hail.

Peters Commodities grain trader Peter Gerhardy of southern NSW said many cropping farmers in the area were grateful to be finished harvest before the storms hit.

He said that most of the grain had escaped weather damage; however, there was low protein in much of the delivered wheat.

“About 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the wheat was ASW because of protein, and barley was low on protein content too,” he said.