EXCEPTIONAL barley crops are being harvested in the Lower North, a stark contrast to the aftermath of the Pinery fires this time last year.
Freeling cropper Damien Amery said Compass barley – finished on Tuesday – made up to 8.5 tonnes a hectare in patches on heavy ground and 5t/ha on sands. The quality was between malt grade and feed 1.
“Our best Compass paddock was one that got burned in the Pinery fires,” he said.
“We have never seen yields that high. Yes, Compass is high-yielding, but the season has also been perfect.”
Mr Amery crops 1000ha as part of the Schuster family operation at Freeling, which also includes wheat, lentils, chickpeas and peas.
They had up to 520 millimetres of growing season rainfall – well above average.
“We will start harvesting wheat next, as soon as it stops raining,” Mr Amery said.
