CROPS across the state's North West may have flourished over the summer months but sunflowers have arguably been the jewel in the crown.
Nowhere is this more evident than on L.T Cameron & Sons' Premer property, Dee Why, where the Cameron family has planted nearly 400 hectares of Barenbrug's Aussie Gold-62 and Aussie Stripes-14 sunflower varieties.
Sown between November 18, 2020 and January 12 this year, the crops have withstood the pressures of a mice plague and major rain events to bring above average yields.
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It was the operation's first sunflower crop since 2014 but L.T Cameron & Son's principal Troy Cameron said it had lived up to expectations, despite the threat of the ongoing mice plague.
"The mice haven't done a lot of damage but they are there," Mr Cameron told The Land.
"Our yields are still going to be about average for us, which is pretty pleasing but as the days get colder, you'd wonder what damage the mice could do if the crops weren't harvested.
"Normally, our yields are around the 2.5 tonnes per hectare, if you can get three it's awesome but you're normally pretty happy with 2.5t/ha.
"Hopefully there shouldn't be too many droppings showing up in the screenings because they tend to feed on the ground as opposed to up high on the flower."
A mixed cropping and cattle operation since 1964, sunflowers make up part of the Camerons sowing cycle every five to seven years.
"We've been growing sunflowers since about 2000," Mr Cameron said.
"It's certainly not something we grow every year, in fact I think this might be the fifth time we've grown them.
"This year is similar to most years we've grown them in terms of average, I think the best year may have been 2005 because all of the seasonal conditions went with us, but here's hoping this year's crop can top it.
"After harvest, the sunflowers really soften the ground once you lay the stalks over, they help trap the water in and all of the stems break down really easily, so there are a number of benefits to planting them.
"I'm basically in a long-fallow rotation, so these paddocks will stay out this winter and will be used for next year's cereal crops."
Australian Oilseed Federation executive officer Nick Goddard said the past growing season had been "a ripper" for sunflowers across the country.
"It has certainly been one of the biggest crops we have seen planted in a number of years," Mr Goddard said.
"The winter crop was fantastic last year and the summer crop has followed it up nicely.
"It's great to see them back into the rotation of a lot of producers and it's really important for us to do everything we can to ensure sunflowers stay in producers rotations."
Despite the season going well to this point, Mr Cameron said his family was working diligently using blasting techniques such as shot guns to create loud noises in a bid to deter birds from damaging the crops.
"We staggered the planting of the three crops for a few reasons, the main one being so that they wouldn't all be ready at the same time so you wouldn't spend all your time harvesting," he said.
"Another reason for that is you can ensure the birds don't go after the crop you're currently harvesting but go after the stripped crop instead.
"All of the spilled seeds from the stripped crop will be on the ground and will attract the birds' focus away from the crops you want to harvest.
"The birds used to be scared of any white ute that would drive past the crops but they are getting more cunning now and in the colder months they will eat twice as much."
Currently, the market for sunflower seeds is dominated by buyers in the bird feed industry, which Mr Cameron said meant storage was a priority.
"Silos are the best way in my opinion because with the way the mice plague is going, I think you would need a weekly baiting program if you were to store it in a grain shed," he said.
"Once you get the smell of the oil, weevils won't touch it as long as you keep the grain under 20 degrees Celsius that's another benefit of silo storage.
"We've had grain in there which was sold the following November and it was coming out at 13 degrees, so it can be done.
"Normally you don't get a lot of buyers coming and getting it straight from the header, they like you to store it for a while.
"You'll only sell a few truckloads every week, you won't have a convoy of B-Doubles carting it away, so you've got to be patient."
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