Australia’s east coast grain producers are continuing to monitor and manage the ongoing impacts of severe rain events and flooding on the quality and volume of this year’s grain crop.
Grain Producers Australia held another meeting this morning among State grain grower leaders and GPA grower board members, to discuss the current situation and consider any proposed responses.
Last week GPA wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Agriculture and Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt and Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King, to inform them of impacts on grain producers and farming communities.
Key messages updated from today’s meeting include:
Impacts of recent rain events are varied in the different grain producing regions, for crops that have already been delayed in maturity, due to ongoing rainfall during spring
Many growers are continuing to wait for the rain to break, in order to get out and inspect their paddocks, to assess the actual damage and make informed management decisions
Growers are continually monitoring updated weather forecasts in anticipation of more storms and heavy rains arriving, whilst hoping for the best and some certainty
More rain will further exacerbate wet conditions and loss of crop value, with expected increases in the volume of downgraded grain, un-harvestable crops, and disease impacts
Damage to local roads and infrastructure logistics is highly concerning, impeding access to grain delivery sites and market destinations, and safe movement of farm machinery
Optimising yield and value of this year’s crop is highly critical to support grower productivity and sustainability, given it’s the most expensive crop planted, due to record high input costs
GPA Chair, Barry Large, said GPA’s members appreciated the support of State and federal governments, cooperating with industry, to help provided immediate and longer-term assistance.
“While WA and SA are anticipating records crop returns with favourable harvesting conditions, the thoughts of growers in those States are with their farming cousins on the east coast,” he said.
“It’s still incredibly wet and it’s not taking much rain to make the current problems worse. Without any heat and warm winds to dry the crop out, more rain will only increase our losses. However, we remain hopeful the conditions will improve and harvest can get moving, as the skies clear up.”
ENDS
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