Australia: Fierce frost quashes southern selling

A recent frost in South Australia, Victoria, and southern New South Wales has damaged crops, including canola, lentils, and cereals, leading some growers to consider dropping the worst-affected crops for hay and raising concerns about yield and quality for the upcoming cereal harvest. The dry start to spring and unfavorable weather have diminished growers' interest in forward selling. However, above-average yields are anticipated for wheat in Central Queensland and the Maranoa district, with consumers partially covered for wheat but planning to buy off the header on barley. The article also highlights the need for rain to avoid extending the supplementary-feeding period with hay and discusses growers' dilemma of cutting crops for hay or washing out contracts. Despite potential low yields and downgraded grain, growers are hopeful for rain to save the crops and are aware of the abundant new crop expected from the north.

FROST in South Australia, Victoria and southern New South Wales on Monday morning has chopped into new-crop production ideas in the southern market. On top of a dry start to spring, the frost is prompting some growers to drop the worst-affected crops for hay, and many others are nervous about both yield and quality for cereals from the upcoming harvest. Unfavourable weather into this third week of spring has seen southern growers lose all interest in forward selling. In the north, traded volume is largely confined to consumers booking a load or two to get them through to new-crop, which will hit the bins in the first half of October. Table 1: Indicative prices in Australian dollars per tonne. Harvest of early barley crops has started in Central Queensland and the Maranoa district, and will move south to the New South Wales border area in the next fortnight. Volume harvesting of wheat is about two weeks behind barley, and some growers are now expecting above-average rather than ...