Crops looking good at Cockaleechie

Streaky Bay was one of the few areas to miss out on good in-season rainfall this year, but even more marginal areas like Cowell are enjoying yields well above average.

Like most of the state, the season cut short again, but for most areas there was enough stored soil moisture from good winter falls to get crops across the line.

And, massive falls recently from a storm front that went through do not seemed to have caused much damage.

Harvest was not held up too much by the 30 millimetres that fell during the storm front at Cockaleechie, according to local farmer Daniel Adams.

"We started harvesting at the start of November, and while the rain held us up a bit, it wasn't too bad," he said.

Early harvest signs are looking good, with canola yields 20 per cent above average.

"The season's been good, and we had a really good start," he said.

"While it got pretty dry in June, we then had really good August rains, and good follow-ups in early September."

A third of the family's canola has been reapt, and they expect to finish harvest completely by early December.

Most of the wheat crops sown are Mace, with a bit of Trojan wheat in for seed, and some Wyalkatchem still in the program.

Mr Adams' agronomist Denis Pedler, Carr's Seeds, said Trojan was on the mark with Mace for yields, but better for stripe rust resistance.

"It's also not as affected by time of sowing as Mace," Mr Pedler said.

Hindmarsh is the predominant barley grown, with some Compass also in the mix.

Mr Adams said he had grown lentils in the past, and he was planning to get back into the crop on the back of very strong prices.