Harvest finishes weeks earlier than expected
This year’s winter crop harvest will go down in the history books with some regions already wrapped up after a “dream run”.
The 2023 winter crop harvest will go down in the history books as one of the earliest to finish.
It contrasts starkly with the previous harvest of 2022-23, which dragged out into January and February and was marred by wet weather and people constantly dragging headers out of bog holes.
However, recent rain has harvest activity running around the clock throughout Victoria.
The Latta family at Walpeup have been harvesting canola, barley and lupins. They had harvested about 75 per cent and still have lupins to go after the rain events pass. Sister Abbey and Georgia were helping harvest a handy CL Plus Wheat crop.
South Australian farmer Brad Griffiths, Mallala said the harvest was well and truly finished in his area.
“We finished about two weeks ago, and this is the earliest finish for us by over three weeks,” Mr Griffiths said.
He said the early finish was in contrast to what happened with the 2022 harvest, which meant crops were still being stripped into February this year.
Logistically, he described harvest as being a dream run.
Wheat crops averaged around 3.5 tonnes/ha and lentils 1.7 tonnes/ha.
In northern NSW, cropping farmer Oscar Pearse from Moree joked that all of the machinery had been put away and harvest for 2023 was done and dusted.
“We were finished on November 1, and this was our earliest ever finish,” he said.
Northern NSW was affected by low in-crop rainfall, and Mr Pearse said there was a rain deficiency, compared to average median levels, of 187mm for the growing period.
“The median temperature was 2C above (normal) median levels,” he said.
The hot and dry weather meant harvest was finished for wheat, chick peas and faba beans a month earlier than normal.
In the past week or so, large amounts of rain have fallen throughout NSW, and Mr Pearse said this would be helpful for people embarking on a summer crop program.
“We have had 70mm of rain for this month, but there are other people who have measured up to 250mm in isolated spots,” he said.
List: Grain and oilseed prices
Canola prices have rallied to $821/tonne in Victoria and wheat is tracking at $342/tonne. See how grain and oilseed prices are performing this week.
Best yields in a decade for parts of NSW
Bulk handlers and farmers have tallied the final results of the harvest, and despite the frost, hail, and dry seasonal conditions, yields exceeded expectations.