Yet again, we seem to be facing a spring of meteorological surprises, with enormous aviation across the country. Harvest conditions seem far from ideal for many, no doubt, although for some the ground conditions will have improved significantly this week.
True to my much preached recommendation, I managed to cut my crop in February, and it has laid in the swath since. However, it has taken no harm, and there is no longer a hint of green left in the cane. If the cold but dry weather holds, it will not be long before I call in the baler.
Again, we look as though many will be cutting late, and leaving a short period between cutting and baling, but if you find yourself in that situation, please don’t feel pressured into baling if the crop is green or wet. The emerging shoots will be rplaced if run over by the baler. There is a significant financial advantage in achieving below 16% moisture!
Now is the time to be calling your harvesting contractor. As the season becomes more compressed, getting the harvester on farm when you want becomes more difficult, so get booked in, and, ideally, have a second year up your sleeve, so that whoever can get to you first gets the work.
Good luck with harvest, and if you want any advice, please contact us.
