Harvest across the State’s golden wheatbelt has ground to a halt following a deluge of rain, Minister for Primary Industries, Steve Whan, said today

“Falls of more than 116 millimetres in just 24 hours have been recorded in key cropping areas and further falls are forecast for much of this week,” Minister Whan said.

“It could not have come at a worse time for many cereal, pulse and oilseed growers who will receive major mark-downs to their weather damaged crops.

“For example, barley crops that have been rain damaged will see the price fall from $285 a tonne for malt quality down to $185 a tonne for feed quality.

“Winter crop production is forecast at 14.32 million tonnes, more than double last year’s total harvest.

“Our farmers are in the middle of harvesting a bumper crop and are relying on a good harvest to help them get back on their feet after a decade of drought.

“Only about 30% of the crop in the central west has been stripped and around 20% in the south west.

“Industry & Investment NSW agronomists estimate that 80-90% of the canola crop has been windrowed and will be able to survive intact for a few weeks unless significant further falls occur.”

Minister Whan said the harvest halt had left farmers with no option but to wait and hope that they still have a reasonable quality crop to harvest when they can get back into their paddocks.

“By the end of this week it is inevitable that some cereal crops will have shot and sprung grain,” he said.

“It is clear that there will be significant downgrading of many currently unharvested crops as a direct result of rain.

“The bottom line is that a record area of crop will still be harvested, but it will no longer yield the predicted record crop value.”

Yesterday recorded large falls recorded included:

• Young 116 mm
• Forbes 56 mm
• Walgett 40 mm
• Coonamble 36 mm
• Temora 35 mm
• Dunedoo 32 mm
• West Wyalong 24 mm