IT’S NOT the best feeling seeing hundreds of millions of dollars slashed from the Victorian winter crop’s value, but delving into the situation following last week’s floods, perhaps there are a few positives that may give croppers some solace.
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First, and most importantly, the early indications from those beginning harvesting again has been positive.
Surprisingly, many crops have avoided downgrading. Obviously, harvest is yet to resume at anything like full capacity, but its heartening to see that some crops at least have managed to literally weather the storm.
Secondly, it may be cold comfort to growers dreaming of clearing much of their debt in one fell swoop with that rare combination of good prices and good yields, but the dollars on offer for feed wheat stack up remarkably well when compared with projected prices early in the season.
The Black Sea drought has provided a much needed floor in the market, and feed values are currently above April milling wheat prices.
The yield is generally still in crops, it is more quality issues that are the problem in most of Victoria, so there should still be reasonable returns for growers’ grain.
There’s also the truism that there is more money in mud than dust. While the rain has done no favours for this year’s crops, it has put valuable moisture into the soil profile.
Who knows – come September next year, this moisture may be the catalyst that allows crops to fulfill their yield potential?
For other agricultural industries, the rain will be a godsend. It’s highly likely that livestock producers in areas such as the Wimmera and North Central, where spring feed can be gone halfway through September, could have green feed all the way through to Australia Day. It’s not impossible that some graziers will not have to supplementary feed sheep at all.
High inflows into storages mean there will be good allocations for irrigators, with the potential there for some mixed croppers to have a go at summer cropping - impossible in the dry years.
There’s also the community benefits of having a healthy river system and recreational water about.
Sporting clubs will be able to water their grounds, with country footballers sure to relish playing in April on grounds that don’t take the skin off your knee, ski boats previously getting dusty in the garage will be brought out of storage and anglers wll look forward to returning to a long-dry favourite waterhole or yabby swamp.
Obiously, the weird weather will cause real pain for many Victorian farmers, but as with the drought, staying positive is a good way to maintain resilience.
