The new year again looks likely to be challenging on several fronts for primary producers in SA.
The past two years have seen drought badly affect significant parts of the state.
Unfortunately, some properties were hit for the second consecutive year in cropping areas, and longer again in large parts of the pastoral lands.
We hope to see this cycle change and eagerly await the return of far more normal conditions.
The drought has significantly affected the cattle flock and sheep herd, and this highlights the challenge of getting back to more normal numbers - and ensuring we share in the historically good prices we want to see continue.
Last year was particularly bad in the North East pastoral area and recovery will take some time after the big dry breaks.
Last year was particularly bad in the North East pastoral area and recovery will take some time after the big dry breaks.
Conversely, we again had horticulturalists and wine grapegrowers suffer from significant storm damage - again focusing some growers on the possibilities for broadacre netting.
The ongoing drought has affected the distribution of kangaroos and other feral animals. This creates new challenges.
The changes to kangaroo harvest zones will be helpful and we look forward to hopefully an increase in "field processors" to capitalise.
Hopefully 2020 will see an overdue end to the moratorium on genetically-modified crops.
Evidence that non-GM growers in other parts of Australia have been receiving higher premiums than SA growers demonstrates that the true reason for the moratorium is not valid.
We hope The Greens MLC Mark Parnell's plan to introduce another disallowance motion as soon as parliament resumes does not mean our growers lose another year of access to the technology.
Related reading: Greens vow to block govt GM attempt
The Murray-Darling Basin issues continue to concern SA irrigators and the community.
The year ahead may be difficult in the absence of good rains in the Basin.
There are also the present issues with the MDB Plan, water allocations and issues of deliverability, which add extra challenges.
Last year, we saw the successful passing of the new Landscape SA legislation.
There will now be the implementation stage with the new boards starting.
No doubt there will be challenges, and we wish those involved all the best in getting the new structure up and going.
Happy New Year to all and let us hope the weather is far more friendly than in recent times.
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