Harvest: Very good, good, bad, ugly
Victorian farmer leaders assessing the overall western Victorian grains harvest will start turning their attention south after confirmation of ‘mixed-bag’ results across much of the Wimmera.
Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said as Wimmera farmers lined up at receival centres across the region, predictions of stark paddock-to-paddock and crop-to-crop variations in product were proving accurate.
He said assessments were now set to focus on how much damage the late frost that had decimated many Wimmera pulse crops, as well as hail and rain, had on Victoria’s southern cropping region.
“All eyes will start turning to the south, where farmers will be hitting top gear with harvest and getting a gauge of their season,” he said.
While the frost caused most damage to pulses north of the Great Dividing Range, it hit juvenile cereal crops in southern growing districts, especially in the Western District south of Ararat.
Mr Jochinke said despite disastrous circumstances for some growers, Victoria was likely to overall have the best harvest result of any Australian state.
“The trouble is that we’re seeing very localised circumstances that are vastly different from region to region, which is leading to quality or quantity issues,” he said.
“In the Wimmera, it is very hard to generalise results.
“The truth is that the season will be quite reasonable for many people.
“However, there will be some farmers who have been absolutely smashed for one reason or another.”
Mr Jochinke, a grain-grower from Murra Warra between Horsham and Warracknabeal, said take-away messages so far from this year’s harvest were that while the season had been tough for many, apart from last year, it had generally been better than recent years.
He said the season, which had been buoyed by confidence in the sector and had showed so much promise, had also provided compelling evidence for farmers to ensure they incorporated diverse levels of risk-management into their businesses.
“But the main message across the industry is, that regardless of circumstances, for everyone to stay safe and well,” he said. “With some warm weather around there will be some long days and nights in the header and people will be getting tired and frustrated.
“Never forget that the main reason we do this is so we can enjoy life and our family and friends – ultimately that’s why we farm.”