Dry weather hits WA grain harvestFriday, 07/07/2006Western...

Dry weather hits WA grain harvest

Friday, 07/07/2006

Western Australian broadacre farmers could be confronting one of their worst harvest seasons in history, after another month of warm and unseasonably dry conditions.

The state's grain handler and marketer, Co-operative Bulk Handling, had earlier predicted that summer subsoil moisture would help produce a crop of around 11 million tonnes, despite an historically dry start to winter.

But operations manager David Fienberg says the entire state's yield could now be as low as 7 million tonnes.

"What we're concerned about is keeping farmers on farm and of course that directly relates to their profitability and of course that comes from volume," he said.

"My gut feeling is that lupins are going to be considerably down compared to where they might have been given that early break in summer, I think canola also going to be substantially down."

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1681243.htm

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Poor harvest sends farmers to other jobs

Friday, 07/07/2006

As the dry spell continues in Western Australia, young farmers are already starting to consider their options off-farm.

Many farmers are opting not to put a crop in this year.

Wes Teakle, from Northampton, is going to build sheds because there is no money to be made on the land this year.

"I know of half a dozen guys, just off the top of my head, that are doing the same thing that I'm doing and looking for alternate work," he said.

"Unfortunately there's not enough room for all of us in a small town like Northampton or Geraldton.

"They have had to leave town."

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1681247.htm