South Australia's 2023–24 crop harvest has exceeded expectations with production estimated at 9.3 million tonnes and strong grain prices resulting in a farmgate value of about $3.6 billion.
Dry and warm conditions during November saw producers experience their earliest ever start and finish of harvest in many districts. With favourable conditions, growers in earlier districts completed their harvest by early December and reported excellent grain quality from the crops harvested during this period.
Rain during December delayed the harvest of later crops and downgraded grain quality, but strong feed grain prices have reduced the financial impact on affected growers.
Growers are reporting mostly average to slightly above average grain yields except in parts of the Upper Eyre Peninsula and Mid/Upper North and northern Mallee which were affected by frost.
By January most of the harvest was completed but there were crops still being harvested in parts of the South-East, Kangaroo Island, Fleurieu and Lower Yorke Peninsula due to weather delays.
Rain during December has bolstered pasture feed supplies with germination of annual pasture species, volunteer cereals and summer weeds. Summer rain has also seen subsoil moisture reach historically high levels and is predicted to be in the 90th percentile in some districts. With good fallow management, this is anticipated to provide valuable soil water for the season ahead.
The seasonal outlook indicates El Niño conditions will continue but this is predicted to have a reduced impact on Australian rainfall over summer. For much of South Australia, temperatures are predicted to be warmer than usual, however the rainfall forecast is more neutral. International climate models are predicting that El Niño conditions will return to neutral by late autumn.
For more information see Crop and pasture reports.
