NSW farmers assess frost damaged crops, some needing to be cut for hay

This year's canola crop had promised to be Terry Walker's best in 40 years of farming in southern New South Wales, but an unseasonably late frost means he will be lucky to harvest anything at all. "We were probably three weeks away from windrowing into grain when the frost came through, and the extent we're still weighing that up," he said. "Crops that may have suffered up to 50 per cent damage, maybe a little bit higher, they're still worth going through the harvest because it maintains their rotations, maintains their farming systems and next year they'll be in a better position," he said. "It won't be a lot, we'd still be 50 per cent, but the hay market I think it might get flooded with canola hay and it's a risk," he said. "It's a real big financial hit, that's the worst part and going ahead, we'll have to have a few little yarns with bank managers," he said.