Too much rain causing pain for more farmers as paddocks become waterlogged and turn to lakes

WA farmers are grateful to have received plenty of rain so far this season but many are now in the unusual position of hoping for some drier winter weather. After another wet week, some paddocks are now too wet, which is damaging an otherwise brilliant start for crops. Water-logging had affected paddocks on the South Coast and Great Southern in past weeks, but more widespread and heavy rains since Monday means the problem has now spread further afield. Esperance farmer Lyndon Mickel, who is also chairman of the Grain Industry Association of WA’s barley council, said water-logging was spreading further north, in some instances to the southern part of the Kwinana port zone near Williams, Narrogin and Wagin. “There will be an impact to crop yields,” Mr Mickel said. “There will also be impacts from not being able to get onto those paddocks to put a timely spray such as herbicide, fungicide or even more fertiliser. “A number of areas are definitely looking for a couple of weeks of good dry weather to get things back into balance.” Wagin farmer Phillip Blight said he was keen to see some sunshine. He said the deluge was having a mixed impact on crops in his area. “I’d hate to put numbers on it in any direction,” he said. “It will be a mixed bag, certainly the flat paddocks with heavy clay soils has been too wet for weeks, and following rain this week much of that crop is now sitting in a lake,” he said. “Crops on higher land are benefiting. “Early sown crops will handle it better and most people did get their crops in quite early. These are looking good,” he said. At Highbury, near Narrogin, Ashley Wiese, chairman of GIWA, swapped a ute for a kayak, paddling down a creek to conduct his crop inspections. “Until July we were sitting at around average rainfall, but had 160-170mm in July and it’s very wet,” he said. “Our crops were in early, very well established and I’m hoping most of them will survive well with the water. There’s a lot more issues with water-logging further south. “We would welcome a few weeks of sunshine.” Mr Mickel said WA was still on track for a record harvest. Crops in other parts of WA were relishing the abundant rains and faring well. GIWA’s last crop estimate on July 9 forecast a 19.637m tonne crop. Mr Mickel said the August forecast was likely to be the same or marginally lower because of wet conditions.