NEWS RELEASE November 24, 2022
Tammin farmer prepares for another record harvest after stellar growing season
Crestmead, Queensland (24 November 2022) — THIRTY-ONE year old Western Australia farmer, Oscar York, is rolling up his sleeves ahead of what is predicted to be yet another record harvest on Anameka Farms at Tammin, following a remarkably strong finish to the growing season.
Last year the Yorks — Oscar, his father Tony and uncle Simon — harvested a record 30,000 tonnes of crop, averaging 2.8t/ha for wheat and 2.6t/ha for barley.
This year, Mr York said an unprecedented run of no frost events at the end of the growing season had created ideal conditions for the crop to reach three tonnes to the hectare.
"For the last two months before harvest, the main thing we are wary of is frost. Our entire farm is susceptible to it, and we can experience catastrophic frost damage. This year, we have managed to get through without any frost events," Mr York said.
"Even last year, when we still managed a record harvest, part of it was lost to frost."
Throughout 2022, the Yorks sowed 11,500 ha of crop and 3,500 ha of sheep pasture for their self-replacing flock of 4,500 Merino ewes. The cropping area is split into 4,900 ha of wheat, 3,300 ha of barley, 1,100 ha of canola, 1,300 ha of field peas and 1,000 ha of lupins.
"We have also had ideal seeding conditions," Mr York said.
"After a dry summer we had an early break in April and seeding was amazing. Everything went smoothly and we had 320 to 400 millimetres of rain across the farm at the right time.
"Since August, we've had more than 100 millimetres over most of the crop which is unusual, and provides an ideal finish, so we're really excited for this harvest."
Big harvest, big machinery
To help meet the labour demands of the operation, Anameka Farms employs four fulltime workers and a mechanic, plus six to eight seasonal workers for harvest and seeding.
It was the prospect of a second record harvest that prompted the Yorks to boost their harvesting capacity by investing in two new John Deere X9 1000s with 50-foot hinged draper fronts, to ensure crops are taken off quickly.
"The 2020-21 harvest seemed to go on forever! We started in October and were still going in January, so it took about 11 weeks instead of the usual eight," Mr York said.
"We put in 600 hours each on two John Deere S680 headers with 45-foot flex fronts, so we decided to sell one and buy two new John Deere X9s with 50-foot hinged draper fronts, to give us extra capacity."
The giant X9s feature a dual separator, faster unloading and wider headers to handle additional crop flow, and will join the Yorks' stable of John Deere machinery including two 8R 370 Tractors, an 8335R and an 8430, as well as two 9570R Tractors.
WA farmer, Oscar York, is rolling up his sleeves ahead of what is predicted to be yet another record harvest.
Farm management unlocks productivity
While the predicted record harvest will be a result of ideal weather conditions, and good farm management, the Yorks have also sought efficiencies to maximise profitability and implement more sustainable practices.
For example, to further grow production efficiency, the Yorks secure their supply of Morell lime from their own farms to manage pH and reduce soil acidity, with regular soil testing helping to identify areas which need to be dressed.
"We used to truck coastal lime in from three hours away, so we've cut out the freight costs by using our own Morell lime for the past two years, and the results are really promising. Some of our neighbours are doing it as well after finding some in their own paddocks,"he said.
Mr York said adding sheep, peas and lupins to the crop rotation has also been beneficial.
"One of the biggest things for us to further reduce input costs has been our rotations with peas and lupins and adding sheep in the mix. A lot of our pasture is sown with the hard-seeded, deep rooted annual legume, biserrula, which fixes nitrogen for crop rotations and is suited for use on acid soils.
"So, this year we have 600 hectares sown with Biserrula, which will set us up nicely for next year to plant wheat or canola, and not need as much fertiliser."
About John Deere:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
Media Contacts:
Stacey Wordsworth
0438 394 371
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
Hannah Hardy
0421 196 004
hannah.hardy@bluehillpr.com.au
