NEWS - Agribusiness |
 |
Comment |
Local wheat crop faces risk from mice plague
Published 6:57 PM, 15 Jun 2011
QUICK SUMMARY | FULL STORY | AGRIBUSINESS
Reuters
An exploding population of mice is threatening some of Australia's key wheat growing areas, feeding on new crops and posing a threat to the 2011/12 crop of one of the world's top wheat exporters.
"It's been a very big problem as it has got the potential to cost us a lot money if they do get out hand," grain grower in New South Wales Chris Groves said.
An extended wet period over eastern and southern Australia has promoted plant growth, creating extremely favourable conditions for mice to thrive.
"You can't believe how bad they are so we are monitoring our crops very closely – it a real threat," Mr Groves said.
"I've got my friends catching up to 90 mice a night in their houses," he said.
The plague threatens to be the worst since 1993 when hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops were devoured across South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia states.
Groves has sown 800 hectares of grain, about half of which is wheat, and is using a phosphate bait, which is not supposed to damage crops or kill wildlife.
The developer of the bait, Australian firm Animal Control Technologies (ACT), also said the threat appeared significant.
"The problem is a one-in-50-year event as it is very widespread stretching across four states," ACT chief executive Linton Staples said.
He said recently planted wheat crops were in danger of being destroyed by the plague that stretches from Queensland to South Australia.
"There is the possibility of a second wave of damage in July and August when new wheat emerges," Mr Staples said.
Millions of hectares of recently planted canola have already been destroyed by the plague, according to the National Oilseeds Federation (NOF).
The organisation said in New South Wales state mice attacks had either decimated crops, or impacted them so severely that the crops were not viable.
In cases where crops have been re-sown, the tendency is to sow winter cereals as the planting window for canola had ended.
"At this stage I haven't seen any estimates in terms of the cost of the damage," executive of NOF Nick Goddard said.
Australia's chief commodities forecaster said increased mice populations have forced farmers to carry out baiting, increasing the cost of growing crops.
"A number of crops have had to be replanted in central and southern New South Wales after mice caused significant damage," the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES) said in its June crop report.
Still, with good soil moisture across much of the country, and pests effectively controlled, Australia could still produce 26.2 million tonnes of wheat, just slightly less than the record 26.3 million tonnes harvested in 2010/11.
Analysts say hard to assess infestation
Crop analysts are not factoring in the potential impact of the mice plague, saying it is too hard to estimate the extent of the infestation.
"Will it impact on crops overall...that's a million dollar question although there's been some issues with planting crops such as canola and some farmers have had to resow with wheat," analyst with Australian Crop Forecasters (ACF) Gavin Warburton said.
"We don't forecast for mice as at the end of the day there's no data to tell you what is going happen," Mr Warburton said.
ACF expects Australia to reap a 24.2 million tonnes wheat crop for 2011/12, saying growing conditions in eastern Australia are promising, although more rain is needed in Western Australia, typically the country's top wheat exporting state.
Luke Mathews, a crop strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, also recognised the potential threat but he said overall good seasonal conditions meant Australia retained the potential to produce an above average crop of around 24.3 million tonnes
Bait supplier ACT said it had been struggling to produce enough for farmers.
"We're doing everything we can now right to increase the bait supply but it is an unprecedented outbreak -- certainly the worst I have seen," Mr Staples said.
ACT developed the bait under the government's Co-operative Research Centres (CRC program) that provides funding to develop solutions to challenges facing specific industries.
Contribute to the Conversation
To contribute your comments for possible publication, please Login or Register.
Preference will be given to succinct contributions. We may contact you via email prior to publication.
