By Mick Phelan

What has seemed like a little bit of a winter malaise, the 2026 season has given way to a drier spell that has quickly progressed things along to come into line with normal expectations for this time of year – if not a little further advanced due to the early start. 

Dare it be said, with washed out areas unable to be any more washed out, some further rain would not be unwelcome, to keep heavy crops topped up and to encourage them over the finish line so they may fulfil their potential, as well as keeping pastures fresh that have really started to kick into gear of late.

With the sunshine comes a raft of decisions that growers need to make. 

Should I spray that big crop one more time for protection? Should I sell sheep and lambs now or hold for later?

Is cutting hay too risky in a wet season? What should I get my wife for her birthday? 

On top of this is the realisation that an awful lot needs to get done in a short space of time.

On the livestock front, there is no shortage of such decisions and they take on a particular gravitas at this time of year and especially in the current elevated environment. 

Buying decisions require a large financial commitment and selling decisions require a big judgement call with the best information that is on hand at the time.

Sometimes it is an easy call, sometimes it is not, and it is the same for market participants on all sides of the fence.

The sourest thing that can happen in this type of scenario is going down a particular path knowing it is the wrong or less than ideal thing to do, but being forced to do it anyway. 

For example, with a later drop of 2026 season lambs combined with the forecast potential for a cut off in the season as well as quality feed running its course, a short-term glut, or bottleneck, of second tier and store lambs currently presents a heightened risk than in perhaps a normal year. 

Being forced to sell into such a market knowing that the fundamentals should, in theory, have you achieving more out of your stock can be a frustrating place to linger. 

Like on-farm storage for grain, having the ability, or at the very least the option to move, hold, pause or spread out the marketing of your produce, even for a short time, can provide peace of mind as well as the opportunity for significant financial benefit. 

With much of the same overtones present during recent drier times, many strategies and infrastructure was put into place to manage this time accordingly. 

With a lot of this infrastructure and knowledge now in place permanently, 2026-27 may be a year where everything is used in exactly the same way, but for an entirely different purpose. 

The entire September 30, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!