00:02From the air the country looks a picture, flowering canola right across WA's growing
00:08regions.
00:09But down at soil level, at Tim House's Nowangerup farm, an early start to seeding and some timely
00:19rain and a warm winter got crops going, but now they need a drink.
00:25They're at moisture stress now because we haven't had a proper rain.
00:28Despite initial constraints with diesel and fertiliser in short supply, growers have planted
00:34almost nine and a half million hectares of crop, with canola a popular choice.
00:40Economically stacking up is one of the most profitable crops, just with the price of wheat
00:46and barley at the moment.
00:47Canola's really competitive and it probably is the best bang for buck when you're paying
00:51decile ten prices for nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers.
00:55Crop forecasters are cautiously optimistic that this year's total production could top
01:0122 million tonnes.
01:03It's certainly a record area in canola hectares, quite an increase in barley and a decrease
01:08in wheat.
01:09Even though we've had good winter rains across most of the south-west, there are still patches
01:14of dry country across the mid-west and great southern.
01:18In the south-west, Pemberton has received more than 500 millimetres of rain so far this winter.
01:25But further east here at Ongarup, they've received only 49 millimetres, barely half of what they
01:31expect since April the 1st.
01:34The majority of the state now is in very good shape, but in saying that, we still need more
01:39rain.
01:39Most climate models indicate an increased prevalence of high pressure systems blocking cold fronts
01:46as we move into spring.
01:55And then you do not think that's really it.
01:55I did that if I mode200 tremper a synergure to the northern Philippines whose rolls up, that
01:55we want thatoazeichanо to sort of asteroidish system in those countries when itkom
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