00:00Typically every year we get a few growers that sort of, yeah, sort of catch a few, run
00:07around in a canola field waving their selfie sticks around. So, yeah, with any luck, we
00:12start to get the message through that, yeah, it is our private property and it's not really
00:17an opportunity for clout on Instagram, it's how we make our income.
00:22So what's this doing to the crop then?
00:24So the biggest issue that we have with sort of members of the public walk through canola
00:31crops is primarily a biosecurity issue. So, you know, disease is a massive issue with canola
00:38crops as well as insecticides, sorry, like our grubs that chew and damage the crops. So,
00:47yeah, if we have people sort of going from paddock to paddock and like going from farm
00:52to farm, then there's a chance that there'll be this spread of disease, spread of insects
00:56and, yeah, like it just sort of damages the biosecurity of Australia's agricultural industry.
01:02So how are farmers dealing with this then, Charlie? Are there clear signs telling people
01:07not to? Are there fences around crops?
01:10Well, yeah, it's a little bit difficult because like the paddock behind me is around about a
01:1470 to 80 hectare paddock. So having signs along that kind of hundreds and hundreds of metres
01:19a fence line is obviously quite difficult. A lot of them are engaged in like having to
01:25lock the gates, but a fence isn't really all that hard to get over. So, yeah, we're really
01:31relying on a publicity, particularly with the GPSA, the grain producers of South Australia
01:35in this state. They're doing a really good job of trying to get the message out there
01:39to, yeah, just sort of have people a little bit more respective with, yeah, private property.
01:44And how important is this year's crop of canola? Because it's been very dry there, hasn't it?
01:50It's been very dry. And indeed, like it's a really tough year for a lot of growers. So
01:55not only has it been dry, but commodity prices have been down. Wheat's down, barley's down,
02:00lentils are down. The only thing that's sort of holding a half decent price at the moment
02:03is actually canola. And even though it is quite dry and we're probably going to get, you know,
02:09below average yields with a price of, the tonnage price of canola being pretty good. Yeah,
02:16that's where a lot of farmers have, yeah, really relying on that crop to sort of get
02:20them through to another growing season. As well as biosecurity issues, I guess there
02:24are other hidden dangers for people, lots of snakes that people won't be able to see
02:29within the crop. Oh, yeah, absolutely, definitely. And that's the thing. It's not just, you know,
02:34like, you know, farmers grizzly and complaining and things like that. We don't want people
02:39coming onto our, you know, like jumping the fence and damaging themselves and putting
02:43themselves in harm's way. So something that I'm doing at the moment is I'm at this crop
02:47and I'm doing a grub inspection at the moment. I've got my sweep net here. So I'm about to
02:52go out and do a few sweeps to see if we have to put out an insecticide. And if somebody walks
02:56through while insecticide's being sprayed or not long after insecticide's being sprayed,
03:01not ideal to come in direct contact with the chemical, as well as that oodles of bees
03:06are out at the moment. So if you're allergic to bees and you're walking out there and you
03:10have an av that gets stung, then, you know, it's a pretty big crop and it's pretty tall.
03:14So good luck anyone finding you. Charlie Benson, very good to talk to you. Thank you.
03:19It's really easy. Thanks so much for that, Ros.
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