Now is the time to plan for and secure crop protection, nutrition and grain storage products.
Shipping and manufacturing delays and price spikes resulting from COVID-19 restrictions around the globe have increased uncertainty when it comes to getting key cropping inputs, according to EPAGnFert principal Troy Maitland.
Between them, Mr Maitland and his senior agronomist, Kevin Dart, have many years of crop science experience on the upper Eyre Peninsula.
They have seen the ups and downs of rural merchandise supply, demand and prices while maintaining the service and back-up that clients have become accustomed to.
"But this year, in the wake of the coronavirus, the supply side of the equation has been exceptionally hard to manage," they said.
"And prices for materials such as fertiliser have been going through the roof."
Mr Maitland started the EPAGnFert business in Kimba about six years ago after working in the industry for more than 30 years.
He said being an independent merchant enabled the company to secure the best products for clients at the right time and at the best value, without any corporate interference - giving full control of the destination.
"And because Kevin and I carry out a comprehensive agronomy service in the region, we have a really good handle on what inputs will provide the best value and returns for our clients," he said.
"We really specialise in broadacre farming on the upper Eyre Peninsula and cover a radius of about 150 kilometres from our Kimba headquarters.
"We have a very loyal customer base because we strive to provide the best agronomy service and share the best value that we can negotiate with our suppliers.
"Our grower relationships are based on trust.
"We need to be able to help them pull the trigger on products when the time and pricing is right."
Mr Maitland said rainfall was the biggest variable to growers' bottom line returns in the upper Eyre Peninsula.
He said the district average was about 345 millimetres, but this could fluctuate markedly between years.
"We can get bumper years and then we can get really poor years and this makes it very difficult to determine what crop inputs to use - especially early in the season," he said.
"We need to capitalise on every inch of soil moisture and optimise yields and returns in good years to help plan for the poorer seasons."
This year has proved to deliver a mixed bag for local growers.
Autumn was relatively dry, but was followed by a wet June and July.
This led to many growers pushing their inputs to maximise yield potential.
But the wetter winter months then turned into a prolonged dry spell again through to November, when there was a deluge of unseasonal rain.
"If the rain continues into late spring, as some forecasts indicate, it may affect grain quality and quantity and means some growers might be unable to capitalise on the yield potential that looked promising at the start of the year," Mr Maitland said.
He said shipping delays, unavailability of shipping space and factory shutdowns in China due to the implementation of "energy reduction policies" in the Middle Kingdom had created major issues in terms of securing input supplies for 2022 winter crops.
"About 80 per cent of Australia's crop inputs originate in China and this heavy reliance is problematic at present," he said.
"Dealing with this has highlighted to us the importance of working closely with our suppliers - calling them almost daily - to ensure we get stock and at the best value.
"We have been very proactive procuring stock early to help alleviate supply issues for our growers in late 2021 and early 2022.
"I have alerted them to the situation and encouraged them to make sure they secure their requirements early."
Mr Maitland said with the late wet spring weather, there was likely to be a run on glyphosate and 24D herbicides for weed control during summer and early autumn to conserve valuable store moisture.
"So, get in early and order what you think you might need," he said.
Fertiliser prices are almost treble those of recent years and Mr Maitland said this would impact on returns.
But he said part of the extra cost would be offset against higher grain prices.
Forward selling grain for 2022 is also a major consideration that growers are opting for.
To help with this, EPAGnFert supplies on-farm grain storage solutions, silos and grain bags.
