WESTERN Australian croppers are hoping it is a case of lightning striking twice in terms of a late breaking season leading to a wet late winter and spring.
Last year, crop projections for WA at the end of June were dire with many areas still waiting for crop to germinate.
However, a near textbook winter and spring meant much of Western Australia ended up netting above average yields.
Growers this year are hoping to play a similar get out of gaol card.
There is yet to be a significant opening rain but much of the crop has already been planted dry.
The medium term forecast shows there could be some respite on the horizon, with a significant rain event forecast for late this week into the weekend for the south-west of the state.
Duncan Young, WAFarmers grains section president, said in general farmers were planting dry, but were not in a rush to get everything in.
“The seeding program is going along steadily and if this rain becomes a bit more definite you’ll see that ramp up a bit but for now people have been happy just to tick along.”
He said some farmers were looking at tweaking rotations to counter the late start.
“Some canola has been sown dry so people can’t undo that but in other cases they are looking to leave the canola out and put in a shorter season crop.”
Ray Marshall, of the WA Grains Group, said farmers in his local area around Pingelly, south-east of Perth, were dry sowing, but had generally dropped canola from the rotation where possible.
He said short season crops, such as barley, were in favour.
“People are generally looking for the lowest risk option,” he said.
In terms of grain stocks, Mr Young said mixed farmers were hanging on to some feed grain.
“There’s been a fairly extensive feeding program and that could continue for a while yet so if farmers have held onto grain until now I would suggest they are likely to keep holding it until there is some more certainty about the season ahead.”