Grains

Australia is set for a second consecutive bumper winter harvest, with total production forecast to come in just five per cent shy of last year’s near-record crop, according to Rabobank. In its just-released Australian Winter Crop 2021/22 Production, Price and Inputs Forecast, the specialist agribusiness bank estimates the nation will harvest 52.87 million tonnes of winter grains, oilseeds and pulses this season. While down five per cent on last year’s crop, this is still a hefty 25 per cent above the five-year average.

GrainCorp has partnered with AgTech company Hone to support the development of technology that will revolutionise testing methods for growers. The agribusiness is investing in the Newcastle-based start-up by acquiring a 15 per cent share, in a move that will add to the company’s high standard quality-testing capabilities. Hone’s technology can be used to analyse grain quality, soil carbon, and many other agricultural products and inputs.

The SA State Government’s latest Crop and Pasture Report indicates South Australian grain production is set for 7.98 million tonnes, close to the 10-year average of 8 million tonnes. SA Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said South Australian farmers may be able to capitalise on unfavourable conditions in other world grain producing countries.

Continuing COVID border restrictions are making life difficult for farmers and harvest workers at the start of a bumper season. For the second year in a row, farmers are scratching their heads on how to harvest fields full of crops with limited access to workers and COVID testing facilities that have limited hours of operation. NSW Farmers Grains Committee Chair Justin Everitt said there needed to be a coordinated effort from governments to make sure the season wasn’t wasted. 

More than 200 farmers, industry and government representatives have united to chart a way forward against a spring surge in mice activity as the state looks to reap the benefits of a record harvest. Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall said it was invaluable to have all stakeholders together for the latest updates and to discuss key issues with farmers ... Listen to the recording.

A Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment has identified the importance of combining cultural weed management tactics with robust herbicide packages in driving down the weed seedbank.

Mice have been a reoccurring theme for Darcy Hare in this year’s canola crop. “This will be our fifth treatment, four from the ground and a fifth from the air,” said Mr Hare. The Hare family have 290 hectares of canola planted and the mice have damaged 60% of their crops reducing yield by an estimated 15-25%.

A nationwide operation has been launched aiming to bolster the supply of local workers to help deliver this year’s bumper grains harvest and relieve pressure on farming communities. Retired and former ADF servicemen and women are being motivated and mobilised under Operation Grain Harvest Assist, to answer the call-up and work on grain farms stationed throughout Australia.

Grain growers in Victoria’s Mallee region are being urged to ‘walk through paddocks’ to check for signs of mouse activity and crop damage and apply bait where necessary to help drive down numbers before spring.

GrainCorp plans to build one million tonnes of new storage capacity at several sites ahead of the 2021-22 winter crop harvest. Following last year’s bumper crop where more than 60 GrainCorp sites broke all-time receival records, the agribusiness is expanding its regional network, which stretches across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

A new generation, high performance Australian Hard wheat variety, Valiant CL Plus, has launched today to support grain growers across the State.

Softs stole the show in July, as frost hit the heart of the Brazilian arabica coffee belt and also impacted sugar. The worst frost in 27 years led to ICE Arabica jumping by 27% and Robusta by 12% so far in July (coffee trees are very susceptible to frost damage), while sugar jumped 4.7%.

Western Australian grain growers are being urged to "walk through paddocks" to check for mouse activity and crop damage to determine whether they need to start baiting programs this season.

Jesse Scott, Chief Innovation and Growth Officer for GrainCorp, speaks with Fiona Fox from Australian Rural & Regional News about his background, his role at GrainCorp, GrainCorp's core businesses and some of its newer projects, including with FutureFeed and the Asparagopsis (red seaweed) industry, alternative protein and smart agriculture.

The start to the grain cropping season in Western Australia has been wetter than usual which could mean higher-than-average crop disease levels in the coming months. Two new research projects aim to increase knowledge and information relating to two key crop diseases – to assist the State’s grain growers with disease management and to reduce yield losses.

Food Agility CRC invites you to join us for our free June virtual seminar Crop Design for Adaptation to Variable Production Environments with Professor Graeme Hammer (Queensland University of Technology).

A record-breaking 2020-21 harvest across Australia has been reflected in NAB’s Agribusiness data showing business transactions from grain growers have surged following record production levels.

Preliminary results from a Western Australian research project suggest some grain growers are under-estimating herbicide resistance levels in cropping system weeds present on their farms.

The 2020-21 brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) season is wrapping up and Australia’s measures have again remained strong against this serious pest ... BMSB is a serious threat for Australia’s agriculture industries and environment, because of the damage it can do to vegetable crops and fruit and ornamental trees.

The Murrumbidgee valley’s multi-million dollar winter cereal crop has dodged a bullet with minimal mouse damage and recent rain lifting grower’s spirits ... The promising cropping outlook and buoyant land values have resulted in three blue-ribbon corporate holdings in the region hitting the market in the same week.