Sky-high prices have led to a record amount of canola being planted nationally this year.
The Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) estimated more than 3.4 million hectares of canola had gone in across the country, including 880,000 hectares in NSW.
That represented a new record for NSW and up 25 per cent on the area harvested last year.
Despite the increase in hectares sown, production forecasts are below last season, with the 2021 yields seen as hard to beat.
AOF executive officer Nick Goddard said price was the driving factor in the swing to canola this year.
"Prices have gone through the roof during the course of the last 12 months and that's made canola a very attractive option," Mr Goddard said.
Canola futures were above $1,200 a tonne during the sowing period but have since dropped back to around $800 a tonne.
The record peak in prices was partly driven by concern about Ukraine's sunflower production, with canola oil a substitute for sunflower oil.
Indonesia's palm oil export ban, announced in April, has also played a role.
Northern growers swing to canola
Canola is traditionally a smaller part of the rotation in northern NSW or is seen as an opportunity crop.
But Mr Goddard said farmers were prepared to take a bigger punt on the oilseed crop this year.
"As is always the case with canola, it's that opportunity that comes into being in the northern part of the state that … really lifts the NSW numbers.
"The conditions have just been perfect, perhaps a bit too perfect in the fact we've seen a little bit too much water up there."
Moree farmer Ed Tomlinson said they had planted more canola but had reduced their hectares sown to chickpeas.
"I guess off the back of the last two seasons, for us being pretty terrific canola growing years and achieving some record yields, we've obviously opted to go that way.
"I used to say that you've got to grow canola every year because one in five years pays for the other four, but the last two years we've had phenomenal finishes."
He said with canola starting to flower across the district, it was becoming clear that the neighbours had made similar decisions.
"There's some new canola growers out there, and certainly those who do plant it have planted more than they usually would."
Third 'magnificent' season in a row
The Riverina is NSW's largest canola-growing region and this year farmers are hoping for another huge crop.
Henty farmer Peter Campbell has been growing canola since the late 1980s, but said he never expected to see the yields they had achieved in the last two years.
"We've been trying to average three tonnes [a hectare] for a long time and we averaged over three tonnes in the last two years, and we got up to over four tonnes last year in one paddock," Mr Campbell said.
He was hopeful they could see three bumper crops in a row, saying most of the district's canola was looking "magnificent" so far.
"It will depend on the spring of course, as always, but there's so much moisture in the ground now … it looks like there won't be too many frosts later on."
He had substituted lupin paddocks for canola this year, while other farmers in the district had switched to more canola from barley or oats.
"[It's] purely because of the price at sowing times."
