Australia's downpours have provided some good news for growers – putting the country's sunflower crop on course to beat last year's, despite some farmers turning to high-priced cotton.

The Australian Oilseeds Federation, while cautioning that Australian canola has suffered from the east coast rains which may have left half the wheat crop fit only for livestock feed, said that sunflowers, a later-sown crop, had benefitted – so far.

In New South Wales, where most of Australia's sunflowers are grown, the oilseed had "done well on the back of good moisture at planting, and continued rain through the growing season".

"With good rainfall over recent weeks, if cooler temperatures, below 30 degrees centigrade, are experienced over coming weeks, oil quality should be very good."

Indeed, there was interest from growers in extra, late seedings.

The same was true in Queensland, Australia's other main sunflower state, where cotton and sorghum had taken over on some farms from the oilseed, whose price was relatively low at the time farmers made planting decisions.

"With stronger prices now, and good moisture retained in the soil, there is a good chance of increased area devoted to late planted sunflowers in central Queensland," the federation said.

Sprouting damage

The improved hopes for sunflowers contrasted with the concerns over canola, of which 300,000 tonnes, some 14% of the Australian crop, was at risk of weather damage, in the main through premature germination.

Where canola had been swathed, or cut, ahead of harvesting - a process aimed at reducing wind and hail damage, and the levels of green seed – "moisture at the base of the windrow is causing grain to sprout".

And farmers were being hampered from reducing the risk of such damage by the difficulties of getting combines on to fields.

In New South Wales, "the heavy rains have resulted in the Roads and Traffic Authority prohibiting the moving of harvesting equipment by road, which will impact the harvest timing for crops in the southern half of the state".