Harvesting in January this year in Victoria. Photo: BB Harvesting

THE AUSTRALIAN winter-crop harvest is around two weeks from starting, and contractors are geared up for a two-speed operation.

While their clients in Queensland and northern New South Wales are looking at reduced area and patchy and below-average yields, southern NSW and Victoria is heading for a monster.

Grain Central spoke with two contracting operations, Horton Harvesting, now chasing work as a casualty of the reduced area under crop in northern NSW, and Bourke Harvesting, which will be juggling a compressed season as it waits for visas to ensure entry for experienced casuals.

Chickpeas outshine wheat in CQ

Horton Harvesting is based at Oakey and is sending three headers up to the Dysart region of Cental Queensland to kick off its run for 2026.

The business, owned and operated by Australian Custom Harvesters’ Qld representative Linda Horton and her husband Evan Horton, is looking for work to make up for its northern NSW client not needing their services this year.

Mr Horton said the word from the north-west plains of northern NSW is that some crops “are going OK”, but area is down, and so are yield expectations.

“Some of that area didn’t build any subsoil during the summer, and with the cost of fuel and fertiliser, plus the forecast talking about El Niño, some of them chose not to plant.

“My fellows between Moree and Collarenebri didn’t plant.

“I understand only around 30 percent of that area was planted, and further west, less was planted.”

The Hortons have harvested in the southern half of NSW before, and may be doing it again this season if the phone rings.

“We have to try and find something further south.

“By early October, we’ll be wandering around looking for work.”

Mr Horton said they normally harvest for three weeks in the Dysart district of CQ, and then spend six weeks west of Moree.

The lack of ideally timed planting rain for Dysart means the Hortons will be harvesting chickpeas only instead of wheat and chickpeas as normal.

Chickpeas across CQ were planted at depth into subsoil moisture, but cereal area is down substantially due to patchy rain early in the planting window, and little to nothing since.

JB Ag Services agronomy principal Joshua Bell said chickpeas in CQ could well yield 20-30pc above average this season, but expectations for wheat are modest.

“Wheat’s more of a mixed bag, maybe 20-50pc below average for yields, so 1.5-2t/ha,” Mr Bell said.

CQ’s harvest looked like starting early prior to a recent run of cold days which has slowed the ripening of its crops.

“It’s been relatively cold, so I’d say the second week of September is when most people will start.”

South sweats on offshore back-up

Australian Custom Harvester vice president and Vic-based contractor Matthew Bourke said Bourke Harvesting’s run would be doing much less northern work than normal, a reflection of reduced planted area and the modest yield outlook.

“Like a lot of contractors, we start in northern NSW or Queensland; last year, we took 11 headers up and this season we’re expecting to take four,” Mr Bourke said.

Mr Bourke said the bumper southern outlook will go some way to compensating the lighter load in the north.

“What will work in our favour is that the southern part of eastern Australia is looking terrific.”

The business services three or four clients within a 50km radius of Moree, and is looking at a compressed northern season this year.

“The Riverina is having one of the greatest seasons anyone can remember, and Victoria and South Australia is the same, although we don’t go into SA.”

Timing could be an issue, with the Moree crops a little later than normal because of their late start, and southern ones the opposite because of their early start.

Bourke Contracting’s normal start around Moree is mid-October, but Mr Bourke said it looks like being at the end of the October instead.

“We’ll have machines start up around Hillston and Griffith, probably at a similar time.”

The team will then roll into Vic to service clients in the Sea Lake-Swan Hill district, with start-up expected in the last days of October, a little ahead of the benchmark Melbourne Cup Day in early November.

Ahead of some work in the Birchip district, also in the Vic Mallee, Bourke Contracting expects to finish its season at Lake Bolac in the Western District before heading home to Yarrawonga.

Mr Bourke said staffing could be an issue.

“On paper, my team is sorted.

“We employ more than 30 people, and over half would come from UK and North America.

“We’re having some real issues with visas getting approved. I know the govt has claimed they haven’t paused…but have slowed approval rate.

“I’m concerned it’ll be mid-October and we’ll be waiting for approval.”

Bourke Harvesting staff, pictured with O’Connor Ag Contracting, Deniliquin, staff pre-Christmas 2024, include overseas casuals who are waiting on special visas to be approved by the Federal Government. Photo: Bourke Harvesting

Many of them are returning casuals seeking specialist rather than working holiday visas.

“We cover their flights as well as pay their wages; they’re passionate about ag, and they run the same equipment as us.”

Mr Bourke said Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell “has been great” in following up the issue to ensure experienced staff can come in from overseas to help with harvest.

Their visa applications were generally lodged between mid-July and mid-August, and as of late last week, approvals had not been forthcoming.

Under the Migration Act 1958, Direction 119 as signed by Minister for Immigration Tony Burke on July 24 as “[p]rioritising skilled migrants in occupations supporting law enforcement and Defence, and in healthcare, teaching, construction with a focus on housing, ensur[ing]the skilled migration program is providing the right skills in the right occupations.”

A source within the Opposition said this has put applications for a range of skilled visas, including those from operators with harvest skills, “at the back of the queue for processing” as the government prioritises those lodged by onshore applicants.

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