A BIG oats crop is expected across Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales this year, as a series of late summer storms in the past month turn around the season for many.

Planting has finished in most of the area, with some having to do a replant as big falls stopped crops before they began.

But the mood seems to be positive as some properties in Northern NSW have gone from de-stocking a month ago to now having oats underway.

As many remarked in this week’s feeder market update, the last two months of rain has created another dynamic in the feeder market – with lotfeeders booked forward and expecting to have access to large amounts of cattle as the year goes on before the storms.

Now there is an expectation that more cattle will go on grass and oats as the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Alfred moved across the Northern NSW towards Moree and turned around what was looking to be a dry summer for many. That rain was followed up by the big system that brought damaging floods to the channel country, but nice falls in typical oats growing areas.

While they have had a good start, the oats crops still have a long way to go and their impact on cattle buying behaviour will only be known in a couple of months.

According to Woods Group sales manager Steve Foran oats have been on the cards in Qld for a few months now.

“We nearly doubled our seed production in 2024 and we still sold of oats in early February,” Mr Foran said.

“The majority of that seed has gone into Northern parts of the Darling Downs, like Taroom, Wandoan, Roma, Springsure and Rolleston. A fair swag of it also went into Goondiwindi.”

Improvement in seed supply

Last year’s demand for oats seed saw it sell out quickly, leaving no second changes for sowing. Several sources have told Beef Central that there is not as big a shortage this year.

Hart Rural Barraba agronomist Brent Johnson said some of his clients on the north-west slopes and plains have had to re-plant after crops were waterlogged. He said the supply situation had improved from last year.

“We weren’t let down as badly as we were last year and some of the better lines we were chasing weren’t available. But most people could get reasonably good supply of hybrid oats,” Mr Johnson said.

“Some of our clients had 150-200mm and the crops had not germinated yet so they were basically flooded.

“There should be enough seed quantity to re-plant, some are going into temperate pasture, barley or wheat because it is getting a bit late.”