HERBICIDE supplies are tight as growers start the first of their knockdown sprays following widespread rain across the State.
Suppliers of major knockdown herbicide actives – glyphosate, estercide 2,4-D and triclopyr – have all but sold out as growers gear up for the start of the season.
Landmark regional merchandise manager Zach Walsh said knockdown herbicides were now “moving out the door pretty quick”.
“There was a small amount going on before Christmas but it is now starting to be applied,” Mr Walsh said.
“Triclopyr is basically sold out with suppliers and while there’s still good amounts in the bush it is getting very hard to find more further up the supply chain with manufacturers.
“There is some product being moved from the east but in limited quantities and to order more product now it won’t arrive in time – so what is in the State is in the State and hopefully that will be enough.”
Mr Walsh said following a “big chemical year” in 2016 where growers increased pesticide and fertiliser applications to take advantage of seasonal conditions, there was very little carryover of product, both in the supply chain and on-farm.
He predicted the upcoming season would use similar amounts to last year.
“This year is still probably going to be quite a high chemical use as last year, however pricing has probably come off 10-15 per cent from last year across 80-90pc of all chemicals,” he said.
“This has probably bottomed and on the way back up again, and by the time growers increase rates and will probably do two to three knockdowns before seeding they’re probably looking at a similar bill, maybe slightly less.”
Following knockdown herbicides Mr Walsh said demand for canola pre-emergent herbicides would also start to increase, with Landmark preparing to supply 30pc more pre-emergent canola herbicides to meet the predicted increase in canola plantings.
“Atrazine, propyzamide and simazine are sold out by suppliers and after that it will be clethodim and insecticides and probably Porsaro that growers will want to get,” he said.
“Anything to do with canola I would be ordering from my reseller pretty quickly.”
Elders WA regional operations manager Brendan Joss said while some parts of the State, particularly around Esperance, were yet to start spraying, farmers were getting organised and stocking up on product in the shed, which had led to tighter supply on knockdown herbicides.
“While a lot hasn’t been applied in the southern areas there is certainly a high demand,” Mr Joss said.
“Suppliers have run out on some of the actives but on the whole the retail channel is full.”
Despite this, he urged growers to speak to their retailers to ensure there was product available.
Mr Joss said strong demand would also continue for pre-emergent herbicides and fungicides if the wetter conditions continued.
“Certainly crops like canola will go in as planned and forecasts are up significantly as growers will go in early with similar timings to last year and maybe put in extra paddocks where they can,” he said.
“Shortages for Roundup Ready canola seed has also made clients swing back to conventional and triazine tolerant canola which will put pressure on atrazine herbicides and those sort of products so we are already starting to see atrazine run very tight with suppliers.”
Crop Care western regional manager Wade Groth said the company had seen a “significant” spike in demand for glyphosate products due to the recent weather and summer weed activity.
Crop Care, which formulates its glyphosate requirements locally at its plant in Kwinana, was “carefully” managing stock levels and Mr Groth expects demand for knockdown and pre-emergent products to continue as growers started spraying over the coming weeks.
He said glyphosate, estercide and spike herbicides were all facing industry-wide supply challenges.
“With a predicted 10 to 15 per cent increase in canola plantings this season, at this stage we also expect triazines will be in tight supply, along with clethodim and other products used in canola spraying programs,” he said.