We finished harvest. Averaged 2.2 t/h. Stocked with that result considering we harvested sorghum off that land in March. Protein about 13%, weighing heaps, most over 80, screenings from 4% to 15%. Most doubled up crops going about 2t. Wheat and barley on last years wheat and barley going 3 to 3.5t, and long fallow wheat/barley going 4 to 5 t/h. These yields are Southern Liverpool plains yields though, go out west and north into the main cropping areas and yields would be a lot lower than that. I hear that northern NSW is about the main producer this year. Central and southern NSW pretty much a right off.
Our sorghum is all in bar 15 h on some light ground that got too hard and dry to plant. We planted 800. It is up and looking good. We have half the normal moisture under it. Normally we would have 2 meters under long fallow, and 1 meter on sorghum/sorghum ground, but this year just 1 meter on long fallow and half meter S/S. There is 200 mls equivalent of rain in a meter of wet black stuff. We should grow a decent crop on the long fallow, but the short fallow is more of a punt. Worth a punt at current prices. Normally we would have held back.
Lots of negative stories about though. Lots will have to be replanted apparently, but all that I've seen looks good. Frost hit some too apparently, but not here. I think 75% of the Liverpool Plains sorghum crop went in. Could be wrong, I've been flat out for a month and haven't been anywhere. Some stopped due to the ground drying. We kept going and glad we did as the later planted stuff was as good as any. We just dropped it in a bit deeper. Hectare contracts for Sunflowers are huge. Some of those will go in. Bit of dryland corn.
No soybeans here. They are too gutless and shallow rooted. They need regular rain, not the sporadic dumps like we get in summer. Soybeans are grown on the north coast. The coast is having a great season so I think they would look good.
The cotton plant would be the smallest for 20 years, or maybe more. No water, poor cotton prices and huge grain prices means that I can't for the life of me think why any would have went in. Some did though.
Cattle prices here are being held up by a good season on the northern tablelands and north coast. So, basically north and east of us. They are having a great season. For example, Glen Innes got 8 inches for November.
Basically, I'm pretty excited about things. I've had 14 inches for the year. Average is 26. Might get some over the weekend apparently. 8 inches in the next 2 months and I will have a great season. No rain, disaster.
