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All frosted out in NSW
11 Nov 2003
Freezing nights and frosts have again damaged grain and horticulture crops in central and southern NSW. In 2001, late frosts obliterated 250,000 hectares of wheat and field peas worth about $50 million in the southern NSW grain belt.
This year some Temora growers will not be harvesting a crop for the third consecutive year due to recent frosts. Around Dubbo wheat yield prospects are expected to be just above average despite heavy frosting in some crops, but on the Mid-North Coast farmers have lost $10m to $12m worth of produce during three weeks of hail storms. One vegetable grower at Warrell Creek laid off his 12 seasonal pickers after three-hour storms stripped his pea and bean crops. In mid-November, grapegrowers will assess flowering and bunch counts on Central West vines damaged by late-September frosts. In the south, white grape damage was not as general, ranging from 10 to 80 per cent between Murrum-Bateman near Canberra, Wagga Wagga and Griffith. Fruit and grapes on the Southern Tablelands are flowering two weeks later than usual due to the cold Spring.
The succession of late frosts has hit grain crops from the Queensland border to Junee, while some canola crops suffered widespread frost damage in September.
The Land, 6/11/03.
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