THE NEAR perfect start to the sowing season in Victoria continued with most of the State’s cropping belt receiving between 20 and 50mm just over a fortnight after the opening break.
The front was unusual in that it delivered the best falls in centres north and west of the Great Dividing Range.
Showers have persisted in areas such as the Wimmera this week, meaning Horsham has now recorded 50mm since last Tuesday.
In the Mallee, there were generally falls of 20-40mm.
Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) grains group president Ross Johns said it had been an excellent rain for grain growers.
“Of the State’s major cropping regions, only the Millewa, in the far north-west, missed out,” Mr Johns said.
“Obviously, we rely on spring rain to get our crops home but this rain means all the crop will get out the ground – it is as good as it can be for now.”
High mouse numbers remain an issue, especially on the heavy black soils of the Wimmera Plains.
“There has been a lot of baiting going on, mainly in the Wimmera but also in parts of the Mallee,” he said.
Following the rain in the last week, Mr Johns said farmers would also be able to get a better handle on slug and snail numbers.
“They will be easier to spot and farmers will be able to assess whether they need to bait or not.”
Regarding swings in rotation, Mr Johns said there would be a move into higher value crops such as chickpeas, lentils and canola, but added that due to farmers’ fixed rotations the change would only be modest.
“Most farmers will stick to their rotation rather than chasing high prices as they well know that high prices at sowing are no guarantee of high prices at harvest.”
Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
