PIRSA tips 7.9mt crop for SA

If the estimate comes to fruition, the state will benefit from a farmgate value of about $1.5 billion and $2.1b in export returns.

Dema Vista farm manager Dean Bruce, Maitland, said seasonal conditions were looking very good in his district, but there was still a long way to go.

"If it was a game of football, we've just started the third quarter, and that's the premiership quarter," he said.

"Everything is looking really good at this stage, but we still need to get a good finish to the season.

"Rainfall is slightly up on last year, so even if we only get average rainfall from here on it would still be pretty well perfect."

Mr Bruce said mice were still an issue bubbling in the back of Yorke Peninsula farmers' minds.

"Mice were very bad at seeding, as bad as we've ever had in this area," he said.

"But we're still nervous because we've seen it before. When it warms up and the crops are out in head, the mice crawl up them and eat the tops off."

Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister Leon Bignell said early sowing, combined with mild conditions in May and early June, had seen crops growing rapidly in most areas of the state.

Mr Bignell said SA's grain industry generated up to $4.3b billion in annual revenue from commodity and processed products.

"If all goes well during the next few months, this season's crop will be the sixth above-average crop in a row, based on the 10-year average," he said.

* Full report in Stock Journal, August 14, 2014 issue.