Central Wheatbelt grain farmers start season on | Australian Markets

It’s a story of two seasons within the Wheatbelt amid a blended start within the State’s high growing areas.

Central Wheatbelt grain farmers started seeding unseasonably early within the wake of mild rain in mid-March, beginning the season on sturdy footing.

Crops are additionally up and away in Esperance and the Great Southern, with canola and early-sown barley crops doing nicely.

However, it’s a completely different story for grain growers within the Mid West, which is generally dry and has little subsoil moisture obtainable to risk sowing.

The Grain Industry Association of WA predicted in May more than 8.6 million hectares had been put to grain crops in WA this yr, together with wheat, barley, canola, oats, lupins and pulses.

That is down from the April estimate of between 8.5 million and 9 million as a consequence of persistent dry circumstances within the high third of the State’s grain-growing area.

GIWA mentioned a majority of growers have been sticking to their plans for now.

York farmer Alex Davies, pictured, is optimistic in regards to the yr forward after placing in 1000ha every of wheat, barley and oats on their 4000ha property, leaving the non-arable land for roughly 2000 sheep.

Mr Davies rolled his air seeder out of the shed on April 1 — three weeks forward of earlier years forward of predicted mild rainfall in mid-April and following the 19.1mm that fell on his property in mid-March.

With two new crop varieties and a stable start to the yr, the third-generation farmer mentioned he had carried out his best to set up the farm for optimistic outcomes to return from the 2025 season.

“We’ve got some new varieties in that are a bit of a change — Vortex wheat and Goldie oats,” he mentioned.

“Our focus has also shifted to oats and canola this year as they were forecast to be our best earners.”