As the busiest time in a farmer’s calendar year is due to arrive, the motions are once again forced almost to a halt. For the second year in a row, local flooding is taking its toll on crops, causing yield losses and significant delays. 

With flooding continuing in parts of the Western Plains and more rain predicted, by now no one is expecting the upcoming harvest to be smooth sailing. 

Nevertire-based agronomist Will Archer said that this year’s flood damage could put local farmers in worse standing than last year’s flooded crops. 

“The main damage that I've seen so far has been crops that have had water lying on the surface from floodwaters. Farms close to the river with water sitting on them has resulted in almost complete yield loss in places,” Mr Archer said.

According to Mr Archer, harvest will be a struggle. 

“In a normal scenario where these weather systems didn’t turn up we’d be looking at windrowing in the next 4-10 days and then subsequently harvesting 10 days after. Now, you’re not going to be able to get machines on this country for another three weeks at least,” Mr Archer said. 

When harvest finally commences, moisture in the ground will mean that it’ll be a long time before headers can be operating 24 hours a day. 

NSW Farmers Grains Committee chair Justin Everitt said damage to local roads and infrastructure will present significant logistical challenges, with getting harvested grain from farm to delivery sites and into various market destinations, and the movement of farm machinery. 

“We need to be proactive with thinking about how we can get on the front foot and find workable solutions to some of these complex challenges now,” he said. 

“Given the significant production costs growers are facing this year, it’s vitally important we work together to find ways of preserving the value of this crop, which is vital to our sustainability.”

Mr Archer said that while local farmers are frustrated, it’s nothing they haven’t seen before. 

“On an enterprise level, it’s not just delays in the harvest and getting the crop off and the summer crop in, but the timing of things like shearing and lamb marking…there’s little opportunity to do things when the sun is out,” Mr Archer said.

A lot of farmers are still waiting for the rain to subside to assess the quality of their crops and whether they will be downgraded to feed quality or deemed unharvestable. 

Primary producers in several LGAs across the Western Plains are eligible to apply for state government support from ongoing severe weather and flooding, including concessional loans and transport subsidies.