A peak body estimates that 20 of the estimated 60 million tonnes of grain in Australia may be rain-affected at present, hoping and praying it comes good in time for harvest.
Some South Australian growers are already in the clear after grain handler Viterra announced this week that their first delivery of barley had arrived for the 2022/23 harvest.
Graingrowers Ltd chair Brett Hosking told FlowFM there were concerns not about recent and future rainfall on crops as La Nina persists for a third successive year, but flood affected crops and transport corridors:
Viterra announced on Tuesday that it had received 308 tonnes of barley at Port Pirie marking the start of South Australia's harvest, with first deliverer and Mambray Creek grower Ben Bussenschutt looking forward to a good season:
“We’ve started harvest later than usual due to above average rainfall in August and September which really helped and revived everything after a dry July,” Ben says.
“I’m happy with how the crops are looking and with the prices where they’re at, it’s shaping up to be a very good year.
“Our first load had low screenings and a good test weight which is great, and I was stoked to bring my son along in the truck to Viterra for the first time.”
Viterra is projecting a second-largest ever SA grain crop at 11.4 million tonnes, nudging close to the 2016/17 record of 11/79 million tonnes.
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