TIMELY October rains and a cool spring have set the Hawkins family up for one of their best seasons at Frances.
Wayne and Sally Hawkins operate Circle H Farms, comprising wheat, beans, clover seed, balansa seed, lucerne seed and carrot seed crops, plus hay and sheep in the South East.
They were most of the way through this season’s harvest before 60 millimetres to 80mm fell at the end of last week.
“It has put us back a week,” Mr Hawkins said.
Butm he was thankful waterlogging wasn’t as severe as previous years.
“In the past we have lost crops in the winter because of too much rain, but not this year,” he said.
“This year we were full to the brim with moisture by August, but then we had a dry September.
“Then we got a timely 60mm in October, and dry again in November to finish the crops off.
“It has been the best-timed rain we have ever experienced, plus the cool spring, which helped crops to fill heads.
“But the mild spring has meant protein levels were down, but we’re happy with the quantity.”
Mr Hawkins said wheat had been going between 5-6 tonnes/ha, with ASW and APW quality.
They still have 150ha of wheat and 550ha of beans to be harvested.
“I am a little concerned about the bean pods splitting and seeds aborting because of the weather, but I think the quality is still there,” he said.
Mr Hawkins had heard district reports of up to 5t/ha in beans.