Mixed start for farmers

Other parts of the state are fearing they’ll have too much rain to get planters in the paddock.

North West Local Land Services cropping adviser, Dale Kirby, Gunnedah, said not a lot of winter crop had been planted due to dry weather and minimal soil moisture across the north west.

With appealing prices in mind, a lot of growers had been dry sowing chickpea crops as well as faba beans.

Mr Kirby said some growers had been really pushing the envelope as to what was normal for deep sowing, with reports of some faba bean crops  being sown deeper than 20cm.

“Chickpeas and faba beans are being pushed to the maximum depth they’re able to be established from,” he said.

Usually by now, Mr Kirby said there would have been a lot more crop planted around the north of the state, but people were taking advantage of the long, conventional window.

Mr Kirby said there were a lot of growers hoping on the wetter than usual winter predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

If people receive the rain predicted for the end of this week, Mr Kirby said a lot more winter crops would go in.

“They’re waiting for enough moisture from rain to sow wheat crops as well,” he said.

Mr Kirby said soil profiles across the north west were patcy, with some having enough soil moisture to establish a crop and others still waiting on rain.

For pulse crops that were planted dry, Mr Kirby said a significant amount of rain would be required to join the seedbed with subsoil moisture available.  

B and W agronomist, Mick Brosnan, Mungindi, said there would be more chickpeas than usual planted in the region, because of the great price.

Mr Brosnan said 60 per cent of the region’s cropping area wouldn’t be planted without more rain.

“20 per cent of the region’s cropping area would be planted on good moisture and the other 20 per cent will be planted on a wing and a prayer,” he said.

B and W agronomist, Peter Birch, Moree, said most stubble country had good enough moisture to sow unlike country without stubble cover which had marginal moisture, unless it received good rain in early May.

Mr Birch said there would be a large amount of chickpeas going in at Moree, although some crops still hadn’t been planted. 

“Some guys will need further rain to get them in,” he said.

Landmark senior agronomist and Dubbo branch manager, Jamie Taylor, said every cropper was in full swing at present and keen to finish sowing before the next rain event.

“If this predicted rain event comes before planting is finished, people may be in trouble and not get back onto paddocks, especially if the rain is heavy,” he said.

“Sowing hasn’t been 24 hours in some cases where paddocks are still wet from the previous rain.”

Mr Taylor said there had been a large amount of faba beans sown, which went in prior to the last rain, along with lupins and canola. 

“There are a lot of chickpeas going in at the moment, so there’s a big rush to get sowing finished,” he said.

Mr Taylor said chickpeas have probably taken some wheat acreage this season, although faba beans have been the preferred crop due to the fact they handle being wet better. 

Mr Taylor also said growers were spreading the risk and not using chickpeas as their only option.

“The good thing about faba beans is that they are sown early (mid-April) and harvested earlier than other crops,” Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor said there had only been average sowings of canola around Dubbo and the south and less than average canola in the Gilgandra region.

Mr Taylor said people weren’t thinking of summer crops at the moment although, if there’s more rain than expected in the coming events, some paddocks might be fallowed out for summer.

“Summer would only be an option if they can’t get winter crops sown on wet paddocks,” he said.

North Coast pastures are all waiting for rain as June looms, with most winter rye crops up but going backwards.

May has been sharply dry, and warm which has helped wick moisture away.

The Clarence Valley around Grafton is faring the worst, says agent Mitch Donovan with coastal showers during January-March failing to reach that far inland.

Upriver, however, the season has been a good one - particulalry around Baryulgil.

The lower Macleay benefits in dry times and is booming, says Kempsey agent Laurie Argue but pasture upriver of Sherwood are hanging out for a drink.

The Hunter received an inundation in early January that cooked lowland pasture in the hot weather that followed, although hill country benefited, noted Local Land Service officer Tony Blatch.

The Tablelands around Glen Innes are very dry, less so Walcha, and there are some good spots of country that caught summer showers between Ebor and Guyra, noted Jenny Frizell, ‘Wakefield’ Wollomombi.

The Comboyne Plateau, north of Taree, is as green as Ireland, much like The Richmond and Tweed, although a drink in the Mid Richmond wouldn't go astray.

Landmark agronomist Anthony Muhlebach, Narrandera, said growers have had good rain across the region and most have finished sowing with anticipation for follow up rain this weekend.

“It has been a perfect season in the Narrandera area, and we are getting a fantastic start,” he said.  

There has been a change from wheat to an  increased area of canola, because of uncertainty about forward wheat prices, as well as the current good price for canola.

Mr Muhlebach said area sown to crops is on par with last season, and oats sown for milling had also increased on the back of demand from horse breeders and cereal manufacturers.

“Chickpeas have been sown for the first time in the region because of the good price, but it was hard to get seed,” he said.