Farmers sow barley with confidence

The removal of an 80 per cent tariff on barley last year has allowed growers to sow with confidence this season.

Farmers are planting barley with more confidence this season after the stifling 80 per cent tariff imposed by China was removed last year.

Trading partner China imposed an 80.5 per cent tariff on Australian barley in 2020, forcing growers to find alternative markets. The tariff was removed in August 2023.

Meanwhile, there has been a slight uptick in prices, and farmers say it is a relatively easy crop to grow and suits Victorian conditions well. The small amounts of rainfall in the past week has also helped to lift spirits among those who are sowing.

The publication ‘Wet, or dry, planting is underway’, published this week by Rabobank Food and Agribusiness, shows that barley feed prices have improved in the past few weeks.

Australian feed barley is trending at about $360 a tonne, and growers say it needs a benchmark level of at least $300 a tonne.

China has acquired up to 65 per cent of Australia’s barley production over the years and according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics the total barley production is 10.8 metric tonnes.

It’s still early days for sowing barley at Nanneella, but with 5mm of rain on Wednesday evening, Trevor Froon said conditions were almost ideal.

He has sown around 50ha of barley so far this season and said there is a lot more to go in.

“Timing wise, we are still a bit early,” he said.

“Farmers in this area are certainly welcoming the rain, and that will help with the emergence.”

Banyena farmer Chris Drum. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Chris Drum from Banyena said barley was in the rotation this year and along with wheat would account for about 70 per cent of the winter cropping program.

“We will also grow barley, beans, lentils and canola,” he said.

Mr Drum said he wasn’t concerned about the current dry conditions because there was subsoil moisture.

“The average break for us is May 23, so we are not panicking,” he said.

Mr Drum said barley traditionally performed well in his area, and it was a good yielder in wet or dry years.

Wimmera farmer Ryan Milgate said feed barley prices had dipped earlier in the year, and it was good to see them improving in the past couple of weeks.

“We will stick to our standard rotations, and that will include barley,” he said.

Ryan Milgate, Minyip. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Barley accounts for about 30 per cent of the planting and he will also grow lentils, wheat, canola and vetch hay.

“To be viable, we need to see the feed barley prices stay above the benchmark $300 a tonne level,” he said.