farmer to sow 100 000 ha of wheat in 2008

100,000 hectares
COLIN BETTLES



MERREDIN-based grain grower John Nicoletti is on track to produce one of the biggest harvests ever recorded in Australian history.

Mr Nicoletti confirmed he is planting a 100,000ha crop this year, making it the largest individual cropping program ever planted in the nation.

The Nicoletti Group family enterprise is planting 11,000ha more than NSW grain grower Ron Greentree, who is widely regarded in the industry as Australia’s biggest private grain grower.

The Nicoletti family owns and leases property in high and low rainfall areas across the WA Wheatbelt, spreading its risk against drought.

The family has 121,000ha in the eastern Wheatbelt at Westonia, Bullfinch and Marvel Loch, 30,000ha in Esperance, 28,000ha in Mullewa and 8000ha in Quairading.

The 100,000ha they are planting this year includes over $10 million in input costs, budgeted at about $100/ha to $300/ha.

The inputs include 300 pallets of pre-ordered chemicals at 500L/unit.

Mr Nicoletti said this year’s crop was the biggest ever planted by his group, an increase of 40pc on its previous record of 62,000ha planted in 2006.

About 50,000ha was planted last year but it had not escaped the effects of drought in the northern and eastern parts of the state.

Mr Nicoletti said he was confident about planting one of the biggest crops in history.

“I am always concerned that the casual staff may not turn up but they have said they will be here and I believe them,” he said.

“We all bank on the rain coming but if I have any other real big challenge it is staff.

“It is important though we get plenty of good summer rains.

“With grain prices at an all time high, things are looking positive.

“Input prices have increased as well, but with a good season, most will be able to take advantage of the good grain prices.”

PGA Western Graingrowers chairman Leon Bradley said he believed Mr Nicoletti’s 100,000ha crop would even make it one of the biggest individual cropping operations in the world.

Mr Bradley said the size of the crop equated to around 5pc of the state’s average planting area for wheat.

“It is unprecedented - there’s been nothing like this before,” he said.

The area of Mr Nicoletti’s crop, 1000 square kilometres, is bigger than countries such as Singapore, Bahrain and Tonga.

It is almost exactly the same size as the former British territory of Hong Kong, 1092 square kilometres, which is now part of China and home to 7,300,000 residents.