ARTHURTON cropper Ashley Nankivell is wishing he focused more on cattle on-farm than cropping, with the way wheat prices are at the moment.
With wife Katrina, he crops 500ha of wheat, barley, beans and peas, and runs Murray Grey cattle.
They don’t normally forward sell wheat, as they already forward commit other crops and wish to spread the risk. “But we will consider it this year, if the prices are attractive enough,” he said.
It was a dry start to seeding, but the property has since received 280 millimetres of rain during the growing season, 335mm for the year.
“We’re well on the way towards having an above-average year,” Mr Nankivell said.
Scout and Trojan wheat varieties were sown, while this year the Nankivells sowed only Compass barley due to pleasing results from the 2015 harvest.
“The season is looking good; we could do with a bit of sunshine and dry weather as we do have some waterlogging, but we’re not too stressed about it,” he said.
Alisha Fogden
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
Journalist at Australian Community Media newspapers since 2007.
