South Aussie Farmers facing most disastrous season in history
A dry start, a dry growing season and a dry finish – it’s the triple threat rarely seen in some of South Australia’s most reliable cropping country. Throw a couple of late frosts into the mix, and you have one of the most disastrous season’s in the State’s agricultural history.
Grain growers and grape growers have been hit hard, and even if you don’t drink wine or beer, the flow-on effects from these multi-billion dollar industries will be felt far beyond the farmer, with small businesses and communities already feeling the pinch.
While some areas of SA are not immune to tough years, the 2024 big dry has been widespread, with some regions experiencing the worst ever season, and others recording the second lowest rainfall in history.
But testament to their passion for farming, 550 farmers turned out to the Hart Field Day recently, taking away valuable information and messaging around the management of dry starts, dry seasons and the importance of networking and support.
Hart Field-Site Group Chairman, Andre Sabeeney said with only 140 millimetres of rain for the year falling at the usually-reliable Hart trial site in the Mid North, some of this year’s crops were abandoned due to unusable results, but in shorter-length trials, there was plenty of useful information to share with growers.
“Most growers came to accept the ordinary season right from the dry start this year,” he said. “The low rainfall meant many crops never had the potential. Usually in dry seasons you have one or two crops to help support it. Hay has normally performed in tough seasons, but this year hay production is also so far behind.”
“The more reliable and consistent areas are going to be hit harder this year,” he said. “The Mid North is some of the most reliable country in Australia, and they’re really going to feel it. In Upper North areas, like Gladstone and Laura, some farmers wont even get their headers out, which is just unheard of and a major concern.”
Senior Climatologist, Jonathan Pollock, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said for the seven month period since February 2024, areas with lowest on record, severe or serious rainfall deficiencies (record low rainfall totals or in the lowest 5% or 10% of periods, respectively, since 1900) extend across the agricultural regions of South Australia into western Victoria.
“Although it varies across the agricultural areas, some parts have had around half their average January to September rainfall,” he said.
Michelle Bammann from Ground Up Agronomy said widespread frost damage across the Mid North had added insult to injury over the last couple of weeks.
“While some farmers are still able to cut hay, many areas are already too drought-stricken for that to be an option. In these cases, paddocks will likely be harvested for whatever can be salvaged and grazed by livestock.”
Grape Growers hit hard by Spring frost
“You are not your farm. Even when the crops have failed, it doesn’t mean you have failed.”
