Anzac Day marks traditional start for grain planting but this year it's a gamble
Under consecutive years of drought, many South Australian grain producers have begun planting crops into bone dry soil.
On the Eyre Peninsula, in the state's south-west, Whitney Wright started planting beans, lupins, and lentils on April 11 — a week earlier than normal.
Like many SA grain growers she and her husband had always dry-sown their crops, and this year is no different as they wait for season-breaking rains.
"Last year we were able to dig to a depth where we could get to some moisture, and other years we have been able to do that as well," Mrs Wright said.
Whitney Wright hard at work on the tractor planting crops into dry soil.
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Supplied: Whitney Wright
)
But she said there was no point trying to get the grain deep in the ground this year because there is no moisture in the soil.
South Australia's 2024-'25 grain production was the lowest since 2008-'09 with an estimated 5.2 million tonnes — 43 per cent below the five-year average according to the state government.
And in more bad news the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting below-average rainfall to continue for most of South Australia throughout May.
Farmers 'hedge their bets'
Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry predicted about half of the state's crop will be dry sown, with many farmers starting crop planting last week.
Others will "hedge their bets" and wait on the chance of late rain.
Whitney Wright's seeding equipment cuts a dusty path through the paddock.
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Supplied: Whitney Wright
)
"The challenge is that there's virtually no sub-soil moisture so it's a really different game when it comes to dry seeding this year in the drought."
Mr Perry said.
"We're not looking at a large amount of rain in the coming months. I think a lot of growers will end up forced to dry seed."
Seeding crops into dry soils is not uncommon but is a big financial risk for farmers if it then fails to rain enough to germinate the plants.
Mr Perry said farmers needed a soaking rain of about 30 millimetres of rain over seven days to be considered a "breaking rain".
Without that he is worried for those growers facing consecutive years of drought.
Some farmers have received no rain at all but will push ahead with dry sowing.
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ABC News: Timu King
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"There have been some regions now that are in two, three, four years of dry conditions in a row, and the struggle is real," Mr Perry said.
"We've seen the banks not extending finance in some areas. We know of cases of farmers having to go into farm debt mediation already.
"I think it's going to be a really tough time, not only for farm businesses and income but also for mental health and wellbeing.
"
We've got to do everything we can to try and help those in need, and if there's a second year of statewide drought it's going to be as tough as we've ever seen it.
"
Summer rain provides critical soil moisture
Over the border in Victoria's far north-west at Millewa, farmer Dale Ramsay had some welcome rain a fortnight ago and is flat out sowing this year's crop.
But he is keen for more rain to get the crops established.
Millewa farmer Dale Ramsay has started sowing winter crops after some timely autumn rain.
(
ABC News: Timu King
)
"We've brought our seeding program forward a couple of weeks to match in with the germination and basically going as business as usual from that," he said.
In his low rainfall region conserving soil moisture is critical.
So when he got summer rain in November and December last year they had to spend additional money spraying out the weeds that germinated.
"We had good summer rains coming into last [season] and this year is looking pretty similar," Mr Ramsey said.
"We had half a years rainfall in November, pretty much topped up the subsoil from the previous year, and then with that recent 25mm we've been able to kick off our seeding program."
Minyip grain farmer Ryan Milgate has decided to grow hay instead of canola this year because of the dry conditions.
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ABC News: Sean Warren
)
Last year in Victoria winter crop production fell 31 per cent compared to the year before to 7.4 million tonnes, according to the ABARES Australian Crop Report.
It was about 7 per cent below the 10-year average.
In the Wimmera region, about 300km north-west of Melbourne, Ryan Milgate is taking a conservative approach to his cropping program this year.
Moisture probes on his farm show very low moisture in the soil so he has decided to not plant canola which is a more risky and expensive crop in low rainfall years.
Instead he will plant oats for hay — something that is in demand from livestock farmers when the season is dry.
"Hay stocks are at a very low level, or will be by springtime this year, so I don't think hay is going to be a hard thing to sell going forward,"
he said.
He has got his fingers crossed the forecast rain on Anzac Day will deliver a welcome soaking.
"There's a bit about, it's still trying, so fingers crossed it tries a bit harder," Mr Milgate said.
Despite the dry conditions Mr Milgate remained optimistic about the season ahead.
"I'm hopeful, we're always hopeful. We're farmers, we're the eternal optimists."
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