Farmers focus on resilience amid gauging harvest possibilities

An influx of frost has removed than 50 per cent of possible yield across the Wimmera and Mallee, as farmers urge a focus on wellbeing ahead of harvest.

Wimmera-Mallee farmers and experts are pushing to prioritise wellbeing as they gauge this year’s harvest.

Tasmanian and Western Australian soils were hit with inches of rain in the past week, while Victoria’s parched northwest missed out.

Netherby farmer Craig Launer believed they were still growing reasonable crops on minimal rain.

“We won’t know what we’re going to get until we get the headers in the paddocks,” he said.

He has canola, wheat, barley, lentils and vetch for hay in his cropping rotation at Netherby and Yanac.

They had about 18-20 frosts for the year, with 9mm in August, 9.5mm in September, and 4.5mm in October.

Mr Launer said it was important for farming families to meet and have a cuppa, or reach out for support.

“Check in on your mates or neighbours, we all think we’re going okay but you honestly don’t know,” he said.

Agri Business Consulting Group assessor Marty Colbert, Nhill, said they had recorded 148mm for the growing season, which was 100mm short of what they considered “just enough”.

He said there were frosts this morning, with significant frost at Kaniva.

“We’ve already got a low yield, 50pc of that had been removed by frost, we’re already looking at 75pc less production in the north Wimmera,” he said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Mr Colbert said there needed to be a focus on farmer resilience and support ahead of the harvest results.

“You haven’t been a bad farmer, you haven’t done anything wrong, it’s nature’s hand and you’re dealing with it by making sound, calculated decisions,” he said.

Willaura cropper and Merino breeder Pat Millear said his region received eight millimetres over the weekend, which was “keeping us going”.

The Bureau of Meteorology recently issued a drought statement, which had below-average rain for southwest Western Australia, farming regions in South Australia, northern Victoria, parts of southern and central New South Wales and large parts of Queensland.

The Bureau’s recorded rain showed serious deficiency to lowest-on-record rain for most of Victoria, mainly in the state’s west, and in southeastern South Australia.

Meanwhile, several pockets across Victoria have had bumper rain including Falls Creek (55.6mm), Jindivick (42mm), Mount William (38mm) and Bairnsdale (29.4mm).

Tasmania had the highest tallies in the past week with Mount Read (116mm) and Luncheon Hill at Forestry (80.4mm) while Western Australia had Bickley (78.2mm), Mundaring and Worsley Downs (70.4mm).