A WEEK of dry weather was ended on Monday with some wild weather, when severe storms lashed much of NSW and Queensland.
Storms tore across the state moving north east from the Riverina, with reports of severe wind, rain and hail in scattered areas.
Most of the western areas of NSW remained largely unscathed, which will allow the headers to continue out there.
As harvest moves further south the quality of wheat seems to be surprising most, with high protein and minimal screenings a common theme.
The unsurprising result however is yield, with most hovering around 6 to 8 bags, with lows of 2 and highs of 10 bags.
With the price of Prime Hard historically strong this is cushioning the blow somewhat for those with low yields.
It’s interesting looking back to sowing time when barley was a dirty word at just over $100 a tonne.
Now we fast forward, and the gross margins per hectare for barley are looking increasingly attractive. There are reports that some barley is averaging 2.5-3.0t/ha, which is a great result with minimal in crop rainfall and limited inputs this year.
Conversely canola, which was in high demand at sowing time, could expect poor gross margins this year due to a harsh season.
Prices for the oilseed have moved minimally when compared with wheat and barley, which makes canola a tough sell for those with limited production.
Keep an eye on your oil levels this year, as canola destined for crushers attracts bonuses and discounts based on oil levels.
We always advocate selling crops based on relative value.
By this we mean if you see more value in selling your high protein wheat first, rather than canola, you should move quickly.
Demand and opportunities for these grades may fall away post harvest as the domestic millers satisfy their needs.
With high protein common in northern NSW, it won’t take much for these millers to blend this high protein wheat with lower milling grades and quickly retreat from the market.
