THE LA Nina forecast and the good rain in many parts of south-eastern Australia have been a positive for grain growers in recent weeks but there is cause for concern that the perennial spring foe, frost, has reared its ugly head.
Reports from separate regions, including the Mid North of South Australia, the Wimmera and Mallee in Victoria and the Riverina in NSW indicate there has been frost damage.
"It got down to -2 at the Rupanyup weather station near me during a frost a week ago and it was cold for a long time so we are expecting some damage, especially given there were wheat crops that were flowering," Grain Producers Australia chairman Andrew Weidemann said.
"We're picking up damage in the pulse crops already, but it is too early to tell with the cereals, the good bit is that time of sowing and varieties are well spread out so we're not going to see a real across the board wipe out, but there will certainly be paddocks with bad losses."
Brett Hosking, GrainGrowers chairman, said in the Mallee there had also been frost damage.
"We're noticing it in crops such as field peas at the moment, I've had crops that have been burnt off and could be down 15-20 per cent because of frost, but some guys reckon they will have 70pc yield losses."
He said it was too early to tell on the cereal front, but added he hoped there would not be widespread damage.
Mr Hosking said he had also heard of relatively significant frosts through the Riverina which will bring yields down.
However, both Mr Weidemann and Mr Hosking said while the frosts were individually significant the events would only have a relatively modest impact on overall Australian grain production and supply and demand.
In South Australia, Malcolm Bartholomaeus, Bartholomaeus Consulting, said there had been frosts that could impact crop production, especially in frost-prone parts of the Mid North, but he said the extent of the damage was not yet known.
A positive for croppers is that in spite of cool conditions in many regions over the next week overnight temperatures are not likely to drop to frost levels as many crops move past the most susceptible period for frost damage.