NSW growers weigh drought and soaring costs ahead of harvest

Australian grain growers in New South Wales are facing a harvest marked by drought, soaring fuel and fertiliser costs, and tough decisions, with some taking risks on planting while others sat out the season entirely. Australia's overall winter crop production is forecast to drop by about a third this year, though NSW remains on track to be the second-highest producing state behind Western Australia. The season has split between north and south, with some farmers like Burren Junction's Rodney Slack-Smith planting after a dry start and seeing below-average yields, while neighbour Toby Moore chose not to plant to preserve soil moisture for next year. In the Walgett district, less than 10 per cent of growers planted, but those who did, like Enid Coupé and Hunter Hopcroft, benefited from late storms and strong chickpea prices near $1,000 a tonne. Southern NSW grower Trent Lindbeck reported yields exceeding expectations after the most expensive cropping season of his career, with canola production doubling from last year.