SA grain growers go Christmas shopping and have family holidays after early harvest finish

For the first time in years, Alex McGorman will get to put his feet up as his children unwrap their presents on Christmas Day without the pressure of being in the middle of harvest. 

Like many grain growers, he usually spends the festive season hard at work behind the wheel of a header in the summer heat, missing out on a lot of the fun.

But after already harvesting the last of his barley in early December, this Christmas Mr McGorman and his wife, Fiona, will be able to take their three sons on a family holiday.

“We can plan to go away [this year], whereas last year we were still harvesting on the first of January,” he said.

“It’s always tough over the Christmas period, as so many businesses close down. So if you do have breakdowns [in machinery], it’s painful.

“So, not having to worry about that is a bonus.”

Mr McGorman, who farms at Sanderston in South Australia’s Mid Murray, is one of many grain growers across the state who have had one of the earliest finishes to harvest on record.

“I’ve been farming [at] home for 28 years … and [this season] would be the earliest [harvest], I reckon,” he said.

However, some late rain did delay his plans slightly.

“We would’ve actually finished on the 25th of November, but [on] the 23rd of November we got an inch [25mm] of rain,” Mr McGorman said.

“Then another week later, we got another two inches [50mm] of rain.

“We had to wait for it to dry out. We didn’t push it too much because we didn’t have a great deal left.”

Mr McGorman said he had hoped the season would run longer to reap more crop.

But the early finish meant his staff would get more time off at what was usually a busy time of the year.

“We would’ve liked the season to go longer and to get some decent yields,” he said.

“We’ve been in an area that hasn’t had much of a run lately … but these three inches of rain in the past week puts some moisture down for next year.”

Christmas shopping a possibility

Yorke Peninsula farmer Tim Correll, who works just north of Arthurton, has been wondering what he will do with all the spare time up his sleeve after finishing harvest in late November.

“Everything’s washed up, so it’s going to be a bit relaxing coming into Christmas this year, which [will] be nice,” he said.

“I’m not sure what we will do with all that time. I might have to go Christmas shopping.”

Mr Correll, who grows wheat, lentils, barley, and canola, said a generous spread of rain was the likely cause of the early harvest.

“We quite often start in the second week of November and finish up around Christmas time, so we were pretty much finishing when we are normally getting started,” he said.

“We had 300mm of rain this year, [after] 100mm last summer, and we didn’t get any rain in spring, but the crops really hung on well.

“We had three days of wet weather, but that was right at the end of harvest [when] we only had a couple of hours left so, [for the] majority of harvest, we had no problems at all.”

Summer slog

This year’s harvest is slightly above average after a record-breaking season last year, with crop production estimated at 9.2 million tonnes, and an estimated farm gate value of $3.6 billion. 

But it’s not all been good news.

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

Then a heavy downpour in November and December wiped millions of dollars off the value of crops such as lentils and canola in some parts of the state.

Grain Producers South Australia chair John Gladigau said the rainfall would mean a busy summer spraying weeds.

He said the industry body had put together a spray drift working group that would meet in the new year.

“We have some significant risks with the potential for off-target damage with spraying,” he said.

“We have to be vigilant to look after our crops and our communities.”

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

While a Department of Primary Industries and Regions’ investigation found no evidence of misconduct, there were concerns incorrect monitoring of weather and wind conditions could see a recurrence.