After a slow start as headers and trucks were stranded up north with the rains, there is now a surplus of contractors, getting in to get the wheat off the paddocks fast.

Tony Good from Harden Rural Advisory said that as of the weekend, most farmers were into their wheat, some with three or four headers going round the clock.

“There is about 80,000 hectares of wheat in around the district and we’re expecting to harvest about 200,000 tonnes in the next two weeks,” Mr Good said.

“And so far, most farmers are very happy with the yield and quality they are showing at the silos.

“It is very common for farmers to be getting 2.5 tonnes to the hectare, with an average across the district of over 1.5 tonne,” Mr Good said.

“Almost all of the wheat has been going Australian Hard or ‘accidental’ Prime Hard so farmers are getting the best price on top of the strong yields.”

“We call it accidental when god smiles and everything just comes together like this,” he joked.

“How often do you get high protein across the board around Harden?”

Mr Good added that screenings had been minimal with the exception of a very few low lying properties where rainfall was generally lower.

“However, a few farmers banked on a record year with the good start to the season, top dressing with urea,” Mr Good added.

“This has wasted some water in growth and accelerated the haying off process which has also brought the level of screenings up.”

“It really hurts the bottom line with fertiliser as expensive as it is and having it then work against you like that.”

Canola was a little more disappointing on the quality front although it has been common to yield up to 4 tonne.

“Oil content has been down more or less across the board, averaging around 36 to 38 percent and only the odd sample above the 42 percent target.