Feedgrain Focus: Rain slows northern harvest

CHS Broadbent’s Moree website took in its first load of new-crop barley this week previous to the rain. Photograph: Eddy Topp

STORMS, showers and funky climate have slowed the tempo of harvest in Queensland and northern New South Wales, creating some shorts available in the market.

Nonetheless, immediate northern costs haven’t reacted, with solely the deferred-delivery ASW market ratcheting up.

Within the south, storms in components of Victoria’s Wimmera district have induced some injury, but additionally introduced gentle however yield-preserving rain to later crops, whereas struggling crops in South Australia have had some first rate rain.

Consensus is that the slicing of dry or frost-affected cereals and canola for hay is now over, and any crops left standing will now be taken by way of to reap.

Desk 1: Indicative costs in Australian {dollars} per tonne.

Cease-start in north

Storms and showers have rolled by way of components of Qld and northern NSW this week to sluggish or cease harvest on many farms.

Greater Qld registrations within the week to 9am at present embrace: Capella 13mm; Clermont 9mm; Jondaryan 5mm; St George 22mm, and Springsure 6mm.

Substantial falls for the week within the northern half of NSW embrace: Coonamble 30mm; Pallamallawa 20mm; Walgett 28mm; Mungindi 18mm, and Narrabri 12mm.

The place rain missed the paddocks, barley is coming off in quantity on the Downs and into the NSW-Qld border area, with many hundreds going straight to feedlots if the worth is correct.

Robinson Grain Toowoomba-based dealer Anthony Furse stated growers had been promoting what they haven’t been capable of match into on-farm storage.

“They’re promoting overflow,” Mr Furse stated.

“All the things’s sluggish; it’s a gritty stop-start affair.”

Modest shopping for is being seen from shoppers.

“They anticipated to see extra harvest exercise by now, and there are a couple of close by shorts the buyer must fill.”

The upside of the rain is its excellent timing for not too long ago planted sorghum, and likewise cotton, now in its prime planting window.

Mr Furse stated sorghum costs at round $300/t on farm, significantly decrease than presently final yr, will do little to purchase the purple grain further space.

Delta Grain dealer Tom Vanzella stated growers and merchants had been involved concerning the spate of moist climate.

“The market’s digesting rain that’s forecast and rain that’s fallen,” Mr Vanzella stated.

Central Qld is properly superior on its chickpea harvest, and wheat has began to make its strategy to depots.

“A bit little bit of wheat has come off up there, and it’s ASW and APW1, with a little bit little bit of H2.”

Early indications on wheat yields level to 2.5-3t/ha for CQ.

GP and ASW wheat goes into depots for round $270/t plus, whereas ex farm values are holding at above $300/t; the distinction displays the shortage of exporter curiosity in decrease grades.

The northern NSW barley harvest was simply getting going forward of this week’s rain, and Mr Vanzella stated a couple of execution shorts have proven up within the barley market.

“It’s been a little bit of a delayed begin…and extra showers are predicted.”

Gradual in south

Quantity traded within the southern market stays very skinny as growers wait to seek out out each yield and high quality of the various crops which were impacted by dry circumstances and frost, with latest hail additional affecting some districts.

Whereas loads of crops within the northern half of the Riverina and into the south-west and central slopes and plains of NSW did get good rain, many within the far south of NSW missed out, and could also be taking a look at larger protein as an alternative of upper yields.

“Numerous growers, the place they’ve been capable of, have fed the crop and set it up for giant yields,” KeyAgri dealer Matt Noonan stated.

“Our ideas are we’ll see a very good portion of protein this harvest.”

NSW crops entered within the AgShowsNSW Dryland Discipline Wheat Competitors are being judged over this and coming weeks, and co-ordinator of the Western area part and Matong farmer Stephen Hatty stated his canola and wheat yield losses to latest frost could also be as excessive as 30-40 %.

“The season was trying fairly good till two or three weeks in the past,” Mr Hatty stated.

Not like some others within the wider district, Mr Hatty has not minimize any crops for hay after the frost occasion.

He’s anticipating to start out windrowing canola subsequent week, and wheat yields of a little bit beneath the 10-year common as soon as he will get into cereals.

“If we common 2.5t per hectare for wheat, we’d be doing properly.”

Mr Noonan stated worst-affected crops could have misplaced 50-70pc of their yield potential, whereas some wheat crops might jag 3-4t/ha.

“It’s the age-old story; we’re not going to know till we get the headers in.”

Mr Noonan stated shoppers had been “moderately comfy” with their stage of protection, following a buy-up of old-crop grain simply previous to the frosts.

“There are open positions for November-December, however persons are unsure of what the standard’s going to be like.”

Canola and lentils slightly than wheat and barley look like the money crops of option to promote this harvest.

“If growers are seeing $700 plus at website (for canola), they’ll in all probability actively promote it.”

In the important thing cropping areas of Vic and SA, slicing of money crops impacted by frost and/or dry for hay additionally seems to be over.

The viciousness of the SA season is supporting  a premium for its wheat and barley markets.

“It’s creeping into western Vic as properly,” one dealer stated.

Main SA bulk handler Viterra has issued Australia’s first 2024-25 harvest report this week, with 126t in complete of barley and lentils delivered to its Thevenard terminal on western Eyre Peninsula.