Final yield figures are yet to be provided by SunRice, but Nutrien Ag Solutions Deniliquin agronomist Matt Tubb predicts it will be lower than the 450,000 tonnes of paddy the company predicted before harvest began.
Growing numbers of rodents have been inhabiting farms, homes and offices, and have particularly been a headache for farmers.
And Mr Tubb warned the mice were not done yet.
‘‘Mice definitely got into the edge of some summer crops,’’ Mr Tubb said.
‘‘People who were able to bait were able to alleviate that, but they are definitely problematic.
‘‘They will be across the winter crop too.’’
Despite improved confidence at sowing — with water availability pointing to the largest Riverina rice crop in three years — Mr Tubb said the cooler conditions tampered with crops.
The conditions also caused the harvest to be drawn out.
‘‘It wasn’t the best season,’’ Mr Tubb said.
‘‘The cool finish saw guys sit on their hands while waiting for maturity.
‘‘It was a mild season, with not a lot of rain so water use was up.
‘‘Reiziq was (the) main variety grown (in our area) and earlier sown crops seemed to perform the best.’’
At the start of the rice growing season, SunRice reported there were 475 growers with rice in across the Riverina region. They were growing a combined 44,000 hectares of rice.
A recent NSW Farmers survey found a third of respondents are estimated losses of between $50,000 and $150,000 as a result of the mice plague which has affected large tracts of inland NSW. “The survey results also showed that the costs of baiting so far for some exceeds $150,000, with 30 per cent having spent between $20,000 and $150,000 already,” NSW Farmers president James Jackson said.“More than 80 per cent of respondents also reported damage to agricultural machinery and infrastructure, with around a third saying the damage bill was between $20,000 and $150,000.”Availability of mouse bait is also an escalating issue, with 75 per cent of farmers reporting an inability to access bait when needed.
It comes as NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall announced rural households affected by the mouse plague would be eligible for rebates of up to $500, and small businesses would be able to claim up to $1000.
He said farmers would also soon be able to have their grain chemically treated for free to protect against the vermin as part of a $50 milllion package.
- with AAP
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