The weekend’s wild weather follows high rainfall the previous weekend (November 21-22), when 23 mm of rain fell in Kadina, 23.2 mm in Maitland and 13 mm in Edithburgh.

Last weekend (November 28-29), Kadina recorded 13.2 mm, Maitland 21 mm, and Edithburgh 5.2 mm.

Harvest was well underway and the inclement weather has now brought it to a standstill, but the biggest danger is moisture causing shot grain.

According to Ag Consulting Co’s Bill Long, farmers are terrified of wheat sprouting.

“But we won’t know the extent of this until headers start up again,” he said.

“This continuous drizzle does not augur well, and farmers can expect downgrades, which is so disappointing. So it will be a case of wait and see what it has done to the quality.

“Canola should dry out in time and although there are still a few lentils to come off, and they may be harder to pick up, the damage to them — whether there will be wrinkling — is as yet unknown too.”

J. and D. Southwood’s Ian Koch concurs.

“As well as shot grain, some farmers have lost grain from standing crops, which was shaken out with the wind; some have had whole crops lodge and some canola pods may have shattered, causing seed to fall,” he said.

Ian says the best weather for growers now will be to have some wind and sunshine to dry out the crops as quickly as possible.

Arthurton farmer Richard Moloney says he didn’t want to see more rain on the weekend on a barley crop which was pushed down by wind when still green in October.

“The rain hasn’t done us any favours; it has just made it even harder now to pick the crop up,” he said.

“We have a Flex Draper front on the header which should pick it up, and hope to get onto it soon before the combination of dampness and hot weather causes it to rot.”