A farm in the Northern Territory is about to harvest what is likely to be the most remote wheat crop in Australia.
Desert Springs farm, nearly 400 kilometres north of Alice Springs, normally grows watermelons.
But this year 110 hectares of durum wheat was planted under two centre pivots.
Owner Paul McLaughlin said he was expecting yields of up to seven tonnes per hectare.
"To get that quality, you need a hot, dry finish, which we normally get out here," Mr McLaughlin said.
He said durum wheat was used to make pasta.
"So usually if you can get the quality … you can get a premium of like 50 per cent more," he said.
"Last year, we grew some barley, but we didn't even harvest it, we just sprayed it out because it wasn't worth enough money.
"But this durum wheat is worth a bit more money and it's grown really well."
The NT's pasta bowl
Flooding in the eastern states coupled with the war in the Ukraine has created high prices for high-protein wheat such as durum.
"Europe's going through a bit of a dry time at the moment so there's a fair bit of talk of Australian durum heading to Europe," Mr McLaughlin said.
"They're talking roughly $500 to $600 a tonne for this wheat to get delivered to Adelaide so that's pretty good."
By comparison, Australian Premium Wheat (APW1) traded for about $420 a tonne at Port Adelaide last week.
The Southern Australian Durum Growers Association is hoping more farmers such as Mr McLaughlin will consider growing the variety.
Association committee member John Green said many growers had tried the crop in the past but had significant problems with weed control and disease.
He said those issues had now been addressed and demand was rising.
"At the moment the gross margin on durum is very high, it's over $600 a tonne and there's always demand for more and more durum because we don't grow enough," he said.
"So the market is continuously looking for more and for growers, it's a crop that's worth taking notice of."
History of NT wheat
Mr McLaughlin's crop is understood to be the largest commercial wheat crop harvested in the Northern Territory.
But it is not the first.
ABC Rural has been made aware of wheat trials near Hermannsburg in the 1880s.
Farmer Bert Cramer grew wheat on the outskirts of Alice Springs in 1968 and 1974 to feed to his dairy cows and goats.
The Centralian Advocate newspaper in 1968 described Mr Cramer as "a man with a vision" and "farmer who is always willing to give it a go".
"The crop's success gives weight to his view that broad-acre farming under natural rainfall conditions is possible in Central Australia," the article states.
The paper also noted there were other small wheat crops being grown in Central Australia at "White Gums" dairy near Alice Springs and also on Tempe Downs station.
Bert Cramers' son, Rod Cramer, told the ABC Country Hour he remembered the crop and that "it was hard walking across the stubble to catch the school bus".
"He towed the seeder with his old Series 1 Land Rover to get that crop in … and grew it on rainfall," he said.
Mr McLaughlin said wheat had been worth doing and he would be growing it again next year.
"It was the first crop I grew when I was 17 years old, was wheat," he said.
"It's in my blood not quite as much as watermelons is, but yeah, I enjoy growing wheat."
