However, patrons were still keen to learn about what new varieties were on offer for the winter cropping season in southern NSW and northern Victoria next year.

Aaron Giason of Baker Seeds in Rutherglen runs the trial plots at Henty and said the dry weather across NSW was certainly taking hold.

For those driving to the field days the amount of canola being cut for hay appeared to increase each day.

And the onset of much-needed spring rain didn’t arrive.

Mr Giason said seeing crops cut for hay and in windrows on the ground was not all bad. 

He said the high hay prices which were being driven by livestock producers in drought areas actually meant many of these crops, which were frosted earlier on, had value.

With hay prices of more than $300 a tonne he said cutting winter crops meant they still had a value. 

In fact, Henty provided a bit of a platform in helping cropping farmers to make these decisions.

Staff from the NSW Department of Primary Industries were on hand to give insights and agronomic advice about the options on whether cutting for hay or taking a crop through to harvest was the right option.

Mr Giason said there was some new barley varieties plus winter wheat to see at Henty.

And he said the trial plots had done it tough due to a lack of in-crop rainfall. 

“It (the trial plots) is not 100 per cent of what is representative of what is going on in the paddock, but if you go further west I think it is a pretty similar scenario,” he said.

“There is drying up (of crops) and damage from earlier frosting,” he said. 

Mr Giason said it for those who could grow a good barley crop there were benefits though. 

“It is another good year for barley … it is going to finish a lot quicker and there is a chance of getting a big of grain yield off it for farmers,” he said. 

In addition he explained that the feed value of barley at present was more than feed wheat.

“That is a bit of a rarity but obviously of benefit a bit of a benefit to growers,” he said. 

The new barley varieties were bred to suit the southern farming systems. 

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