It's that time of year: the bees are buzzing, the wattle is in bloom and the paddocks around the Parkes shire morph into fields of gold canola.
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Tichborne farmer Neil Kingham said earlier this week that it has been quite an up-and-down beginning to the winter cropping season.
"The 2021 season has been a mixed bag to date," he said.
"A dryer sowing period in April and May led most crops to be sown on time in good conditions.
"Mice were a problem leading to much baiting and sometimes re-sowing of compromised crops," Neil said.
The significant amount of rain falling in the region since the end of summer has no doubt had a massive impact on the crops according to Neil.
"With late May came rain events weekly, which continued through June and July, lead to susceptible paddocks and soil types becoming waterlogged.
"The condition of the soil then hampered herbicide and fertiliser applications for many growers.
"Paddocks which avoided the worst of the water logging are now doing very well, with bumper yield potential...however water logged crops will have their yield potential severely compromised, disappointing many growers," said Neil.
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According to latest estimates, growers are on the cusp of a $4.5 billion windfall if current yield estimates and pricing can remain in place until harvest.
Concerns regarding the drought-hit Canadian canola crop have seen another ratchet up in values, with prices smashing through the $900 a tonne mark.
Should the prices remain in place at harvest, not only would they be the highest on record for harvest cash prices, but would be so by a whopping 25 per cent or more.r
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