Throwing it into second

By Tyson Hosie

As the Central Queenslanders look to wrap up the 2020 winter harvest, their Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales counterparts are now looking to take it up a gear after gnawing off the earlier paddocks.

There was a false start for some in the South-West corner of the Queensland grain belt this past week, with a short sharp shower dropping enough rain to hold up progress for a day or two, but the headers were largely back at it by the weekend.

The mercury is expected to get into the low 30’s for most areas north of Narrabri this week, which will begin to bring the crops in quickly and we expect to see depot deliveries ramp up in the coming days. Weather forecasts for the coming week look to be favourable for the later plantings in Central and Southern New South Wales and will go a long way to help those in Victoria and Eastern South Australia fulfill their ever-increasing potential.

Strong barley bids have lingered through late September and early October into Southern Queensland/Northern New South Wales consumers, and growers with earlier crops have capitalised as tonnes came off. The market, however, is  beginning to correct to be more reflective of bids long advertised for November/December as greater volumes become available.

The wheat market remains well supported, with the potential size of the Australian crop largely digested by consumers and the trade alike. This has afforded growers the opportunity to focus on the harvest and marketing of earlier barley, chickpeas and faba beans, with wheat and canola to follow once off.

It is timely this week to scrub up on some administrative details for the coming harvest too, given it has been a few years for many of us. Firstly, ensuring your trading, contact and banking details held with the National Grower Register (NGR) are up to date is crucial for smooth transactions this season – head to www.ngr.com.au or call 1800 556 630 to confirm your details. 

In addition, you and your staff and carriers  becoming familiar with the details of your local bulk handling sites, e.g. GrainFlow,  is paramount, especially in this current COVID-19 environment. Ensure you have obtained the details for key contacts, operating hours and are familiar with the updated on-site delivery arrangements. Be mindful that this seasons’ social distancing protocols will be being adhered to and you may need to download and register for apps and/or websites that many businesses are now utilising.

For those looking to market grain via ex-farm and/or delivered buyer channels, most delivery points require a Commodity Vendor Declaration (CVD) Form to be completed and supplied with each contract to ensure the safety and hygiene of the commodities. Ensure you have obtained a copy of this form from the merchant or go to www.graintrade.org.au to download a copy.

Another week will see the East Coast searching for the shifter again, great to be back at it after a few years off!