NSW rural sales squeaking through
There is always something causing the rural sector some concern, Herron Todd White valuer David Shuter says.
"If it’s not drought, it’s floods, or locusts.
“Currently it’s mice."
The rodents have inundated west of Wagga Wagga, the Albury-based valuer says.
The official figures suggest more than a million hectares of crop across NSW,
The mouse plague, initially noticed in March, regularly follows major drought.
Mouse numbers can increase rapidly. with litters of up to 11 babies, or “kittens”, every three weeks.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson, says demand for baits over the past fortnight has not kept up with supply from bait manufacturers.
NSW has not experienced a significant mouse plague since the early 2000s.
NSW mouse numbers are at their highest in key cropping areas within the central west, western, Riverina,
“The Hume region of the state has seen an increase in activity over the past month, particularly in northern and western cropping areas of Temora, Coolamon and Wagga Wagga,” Hodgkinson says.
“Crop losses continue to occur in a number of the state’s hotspots, including
“Canola, wheat and barley crops are being targeted, with some farmers needing to completely re-sow paddocks.’’
Wet and cold conditions have only a small impact on mouse numbers, and spring could potentially bring more rodents.
“This pest remains a major problem for both our winter crop sowing and for summer harvest, though good planning and control measures will lessen impacts,” Hodgkinson says.
As farmers have spread baits to prevent the mice eating the grain and shoots, Shuter says the mice haven't had any impact in terms of market sale activity.
"There have been some sales, which show that the market looks to be holding steady,” Shuter says. "Although, if the properties for sale keep increasing, we may see the market decline in the short term."
Serious mouse infestations have occurred in grain-growing areas for more than a century.
On average, serious mouse infestations occur about once every four to 10 years and last up to two years.
Infestations are common after good cropping seasons, which was generally the case in 2010-11.
Primary industry officials said traditionally landholders have only reacted to major outbreaks when mice infest buildings, overrun crops or are seen in large numbers on roads. "Mouse numbers can exceed 3,000 a hectare in these situations,” the department guide says.
"However, it is now recognised that reacting to ‘plagues’ may be too late to prevent damage to crops."
Commercial manufacturers supply grain coated in zinc phosphide as mouse bait to rural merchants.
Landholders will then arrange to purchase bait for application by ground rigs or through aerial application.
A major plague of extremely high infestations has the potential to destroy 10 to 12 kilograms of crops per day.
Maximum densities in crop of about 2,700 mice a hectare can occur.
"Severe economic losses over thousands of kilometres are possible," the Department of Primary Industries noted.
