Cool and wet spring delays Victorian spud crop sowing
Across their 500ha farm east of Ballarat, the Trigg family are hoping for warm and dry conditions to complete their potato plantings.
A family of spud and dairy farmers in Victoria’s west is hoping the change of season will bring the warmth needed for this year’s potato crop.
Fifth generation farmer Jaida Trigg and her family are in the midst of sowing their potato plantings on their Bungaree property, but a cool and wet spring is slowing their progress.
Located about 15km east of Ballarat, their tightly held property spans 500ha across what is highly regarded Moorabool Ranges farmland.
About 70ha of their holding is devoted to seed potatoes while the remainder of their property hosts their robotic dairy enterprise.
Working in tandem with her father Tony, Jaida and her family are in the process of planting both Innovator and Atlantic varieties which will end up with McCain Food after harvest.
“We are right in the middle of planting at the moment. The rain is delaying us a bit,” Jaida said.
“We are about halfway through, but we are not late. We can usually plant seeds all the way up until about Christmas.”
“Without being too fussy, we need some heat to give us some dry ground,” Tony added.
“If we can get some warmth once the seeds are in the ground and then any rain that comes after that would be great.
“We will take whatever we can get, that’s the gamble of farming.”
