Early crop for Ord 2
Ord Stage 2 could have its first crop of either sorghum or chia in the ground in a matter of months, if the Kimberley's dry start to the year continues.
Developer Kimberley Agricultural Investment has signalled work to make already cleared land "farm ready" will begin this week, including installing infrastructure to transfer water from the supply channel to the paddocks.
KAI general manager Jim Engelke said provided the region avoided any significant late rainfall, work clearing and laser levelling land would also restart just after Easter.
"We are well and truly preparing for farming and we will be ready to farm," he said.
"It's just whether we get any late rain that is going to throw us into problems where we can't install the infrastructure."
"The season, even though it has been unkind to others, has been good to us in allowing us to get our program up and running quickly.
"We're looking at starting earthworks and laser levelling after Easter and we wouldn't normally start that until late April, so we are a good three weeks ahead of where we thought we'd be."
KAI announced last year that it aspired to plant an interim crop in 2015 while it continued with the massive job of developing farms.
Mr Engelke said the company already had about 600ha of land cleared levelled and mounded, while there was 400ha to 500ha that would also be ready "fairly quickly" this year.
"We've got all of the pipes and the gates to go in and they run from the supply channel to the head ditch, plus we have the pump station to install at the tail water dam," he said. "Our ability to do that quickly will rely on us not getting too much late rain otherwise that can come undone."
Mr Engelke said provided there were no delays with installing the infrastructure, the company would plant some chia but if they missed the plant window they would fall back exclusively on sorghum.
"It's certainly satisfying to be at this stage," he said.
"When you set out to be a farming operation it's nice to actually farm. Even if it's just a toe in the water it means we have the chance to test out tractors, equipment and farming techniques."
A subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Zhongfu Group, KAI won the right to develop Ord Stage 2 in 2013 as part of a long-term lease arrangement with the State Government.
The company is currently working on 7400ha of land at Goomig Plain but hopes to transition smoothly another 6000ha at Knox Plain this year, provided Federal and State environmental approvals come through in time.
Mr Engleke said the company hoped eventually to gain access to Ord Stage 3, across the Northern Territory Border, to provide it with enough scale to achieve the ultimate goal of a sugar industry.
He said discussions with Carlton Hill Station over leasing land were also ongoing.
