Plantings are back 25 per cent on last year, with just 700 hectares of wheat and 2250ha of barley planted, most of it around Casino.

About 925ha of oats, 500ha of triticale plus a handful of adzuki beans have also been sown.

Some growers were still sowing winter cereals as late as July 10.

Industry and Investment (I and I) NSW agronomist at Casino, Bede Clarke, said the high number of overcast days so far this season had slowed the growth rate, but it was not presenting a serious problem at this stage.

“There has also not been a lot of mineralisation of nitrogen from soybean residue due to the cooler soils,” he said.

“Growers concerned about crops paling in colour should have leaf tissue analysis conducted, particularly for nitrogen and sulphur.”

The bulk of NSW soybean production came from the North Coast last season, with 25,000 tonnes harvested from 14,400ha, the higher yields of up to 4.5 tonnes/hectare coming from East Coraki, Tabulam and Chatsworth Island farms.

That is expected to increase further this summer, with Ian Morgan, from Queensland grain traders Philp Brodie, Toowoomba, saying the outlook for the coming season’s soybean prices was “exceptionally positive” based on current Chicago Board of Trade prices of US1000 cents per bushel and the fast-growing demand from China.

He said last year’s returns to North Coast growers, which ran to the late $400/t for crushing beans and up to $100/t above that for edible beans, would likely be the starting point for the next crop.

Rabobank analyst, Wayne Gordon, said soybeans were the most affected of all soft commodities by the China growth story.

And while recent season robust crops from the United States, Brazil and Argentina were starting to make their way onto the market, all indications were that China’s demand would see prices remain flat at an elevated level until at least next June.