Grains

In his 75 years of farming in the Biggara Valley, Keith Whitsed says he has never seen a more impressive crop than the stand of corn currently being grown on the family property with his daughter Marie and son-in-law Dave Colbert. Their first attempt at growing corn for fodder has exceeded their expectations but has also brought with it some unique issues.

Grain Producers Australia’s new survey results show growers faced multiple, significant challenges with producing a near record crop in 2022-23 – especially input costs and extreme weather events. Whilst some analysts forecast the Australian crop size at a huge 71 million tonnes, valued at about $28 billion, Australian grain producers also planted the most expensive crop on record.

Australian agricultural commodity prices have continued to fall in the new year with the NAB Rural Commodities Index* now 14.4% below year-ago levels. Lower beef cattle prices and to a lesser extent, grain prices, are the key drivers of the weakening in the Index, according to the NAB February Rural Commodities Wrap.

Australian grain leaders are calling on other growers and farm businesses to show generosity and donate a tonne of grain or more, to help support Ukraine farmers and rural communities. The #AUSSIEGRAIN4UKRAINE initiative was established last year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to give Australian grain producers a way of supporting their farming colleagues and communities facing the continuing challenges and horrors of war.

Kristin Murdock. With the school year approaching an end, students have been busy finishing off projects ... Shearing and marketing of the lambs has also occurred recently, with Agricultural Studies students from all year levels taking part in the process.

If you have driven a header, seen a header or seen a picture of a header, you are welcome at the annual Header Drivers Convention in Narrandera on February 3. Main organiser of the event for the past 20 years, Neil Seidel, said the night was a great opportunity for farmers or anyone interested in a good night out, to tell lies about the harvest just gone...

South Australian grain growers and agronomists are set to gain advance access to the latest research findings, meet experts and network at SA’s premier grains research forum next month. The 2023 GRDC Grains Research Update – Adelaide will be held on February 7 and 8, with more than 400 people expected to attend. Keynote presentations will also be livestreamed.

Greenmount-based business Kialla Pure Foods has been awarded the Brand of the Year award at the 2022 Australian Organic Industry Awards ... Kialla’s flour mill is one of the last remaining in Australia which operates in the farmland where the grains are grown. “We’re proudly based in the heart of the Darling Downs, surrounded by the rich black alluvial soils that run through this region”: Quentin Kennedy.

Kristin Murdock. With harvest in the mid to lower south east normally starting slightly later than other areas in the state, continual rain and cold weather hasn’t interrupted harvest – yet ... “The higher-than-average rain has been good for our pastures but the extra disease pressures mean input costs really add up. We are also worried about frost on our grapes which is very unusual for this time of year. More rain could possibly split the berries”: Casey Lodewyk.

New forecasting showing record Australian grain production numbers – despite impacts of severe weather and flooding during a delayed and disrupted harvest – makes good news for today’s papers. However, Grain Producers Australia says the headline numbers mask some serious structural issues faced by growers on the ground, which impact productivity and need to be urgently addressed.

South Australia’s 2022-23 harvest is set to break previous records of production levels and farm gate value, according to estimates in the latest South Australian Crop and Pasture Report. The record high production estimate of 12.1 million tonnes, combined with high global grain prices means the farm gate value is estimated to come in at $4.4 billion, breaking last year’s previous record high value of $3.3 billion.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, has endorsed the efforts of Australian grain producers to help Ukraine farmers and rural communities with their recovery from the war. Mr Myroshnychenko met with members of Grain Producers Australia’s farmer sub-committee recently to discuss the #GRAIN4UKRAINE initiative and thank them for supporting his people.

Grain Producers Australia is calling on federal political leaders to deliver urgent solutions to fix infrastructure damage that’s having devastating impacts on farm viability and community safety ... The severe and untimely weather is also having a major impact on local road networks, exacerbating an already strained grains supply chain – not only on the east coast of Australia.

A proud Gamilaroi man who recently started his own native grains business is partnering with a research team from the University of Sydney to share knowledge, revitalise country and help grow the emerging native grains industry. Les Knox, who owns and operates Garaah Gundal, will this summer lead a harvest collaboration with local farmers as part of a project to modernise Indigenous native grain processing and produce flour from the region’s traditional grain varieties.

Kalyx Australia, a national agricultural business, announced it has completed its acquisition of Staphyt Research Limited’s New Zealand business; a move that sees the company grow its presence for the first time beyond Australian shores. For over two decades now, Kalyx has been leading independent agricultural research in Australia with their national presence and operational excellence.

With wet conditions saturating large areas of crop production land across Victoria and Tasmania, a GRDC project is identifying ways to maximise crop performance when waterlogging occurs ... Applying nitrogen can help crops recover after being waterlogged, and looking at where waterlogging occurs when it is happening can help growers to plan improved drainage to prevent future waterlogging.

Grain producers on the east coast of Australia are on high alert with severe flooding and more heavy rains causing significant interruption and damage to this year’s crop, and loss of critical value. Victorian grain grower and Grain Producers Australia Southern Director, Andrew Weidemann, said this year’s crop was on a knife’s edge and with more rain forecast the losses will only escalate.

Australia is on track to harvest a near-record winter grain crop of 61.9 million tonnes, according to Rabobank’s 2022/23 Australian Winter Crop Forecast. But what will be a record for some farmers will be heartbreak for others, due to the impacts of excessive rainfall on grain volume, yield and quality in parts of the country.

Robert Onfray. Many negatives are written about the clearing associated with developing Western Australia’s Wheatbelt into a farming paradise ... The Wheatbelt has played a pivotal role in a trend that has seen world poverty and starvation decrease despite  a 50  per cent increase in the world's population since  1990 to over 7.8 billion people.

If you are wondering why there is a labour shortage across the Western Australia wheatbelt then check out some of the jobs on offer across the state and what they are paying ... I’m going to try to make the case that we need to lift what we pay but also ensure we offer a safe interesting experience so we can grow the pool of working holiday markets that will consider working on grains farms.

Research measuring the scale of grain and profit lost during harvest has found Western Australian growers have an opportunity to prevent harvest losses which were estimated at $300 million in 2021. Findings from the 12-month Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment, led by Grower Group Alliance (GGA), have been compiled from a study conducted across 75 sites during harvest 2021.