For the primary time in years, Alex McGorman will get to place his ft up as his kids unwrap their presents on Christmas Day with out the strain of being in the course of harvest. 

Like many grain growers, he normally spends the festive season laborious at work behind the wheel of a header in the summertime warmth, lacking out on a variety of the enjoyable.

However after already harvesting the final of his barley in early December, this Christmas Mr McGorman and his spouse, Fiona, will have the ability to take their three sons on a household vacation.

“It is at all times robust over the Christmas interval, as so many companies shut down. So for those who do have breakdowns [in machinery], it is painful.

“So, not having to fret about that could be a bonus.”

Mr McGorman, who farms at Sanderston in South Australia’s Mid Murray, is one in all many grain growers throughout the state who’ve had one of many earliest finishes to reap on report.

“I have been farming [at] house for 28 years … and [this season] could be the earliest [harvest], I reckon,” he stated.

Nonetheless, some late rain did delay his plans barely.

“We’d’ve really completed on the twenty fifth of November, however [on] the twenty third of November we received an inch [25mm] of rain,” Mr McGorman stated.

“Then one other week later, we received one other two inches [50mm] of rain.

Mr McGorman stated he had hoped the season would run longer to reap extra crop.

However the early end meant his employees would get extra break day at what was normally a busy time of the 12 months.

“We’d’ve favored the season to go longer and to get some respectable yields,” he stated.

“We have been in an space that hasn’t had a lot of a run these days … however these three inches of rain prior to now week places some moisture down for subsequent 12 months.”

Christmas buying a risk

Yorke Peninsula farmer Tim Correll, who works simply north of Arthurton, has been questioning what he’ll do with all of the spare time up his sleeve after ending harvest in late November.

“Every little thing’s washed up, so it should be a bit stress-free coming into Christmas this 12 months, which [will] be good,” he stated.

“I am unsure what we’ll do with all that point. I might need to go Christmas buying.”

Mr Correll, who grows wheat, lentils, barley, and canola, stated a beneficiant unfold of rain was the possible reason for the early harvest.

“We very often begin within the second week of November and end up round Christmas time, so we had been just about ending once we are usually getting began,” he stated.

“We had 300mm of rain this 12 months, [after] 100mm final summer time, and we did not get any rain in spring, however the crops actually held on effectively.

“We had three days of moist climate, however that was proper on the finish of harvest [when] we solely had a few hours left so, [for the] majority of harvest, we had no issues in any respect.”

Summer time slog

This 12 months’s harvest is barely above common after a record-breaking season final 12 months, with crop manufacturing estimated at 9.2 million tonnes, and an estimated farm gate worth of $3.6 billion. 

But it surely’s not all been excellent news.

Frost in early September resulted in below-average yields within the Eyre Peninsula, whereas frost in late October affected yield potential in later maturing paddocks within the Higher North, Mid North, Murray Plains, and Higher South East.

Then a heavy downpour in November and December wiped hundreds of thousands of {dollars} off the worth of crops corresponding to lentils and canola in some elements of the state.

Grain Producers South Australia chair John Gladigau stated the rainfall would imply a busy summer time spraying weeds.

He stated the business physique had put collectively a sprig drift working group that might meet within the new 12 months.

“We now have some vital dangers with the potential for off-target injury with spraying,” he stated.

“We now have to be vigilant to take care of our crops and our communities.”

It comes after 26 SA landholders alleged the herbicide Overwatch had precipitated spray drift injury and bleaching to crops and gardens.

Whereas a Division of Major Industries and Areas’ investigation discovered no proof of misconduct, there have been considerations incorrect monitoring of climate and wind circumstances might see a recurrence.