But, this year upwards of 800,000 tonnes is expected to be harvested across the state, a stark difference to the roughly 170,000t delivered last year.

Nationally, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) predicts canola production will rise by 47 per cent to 3.4 million tonnes, four per cent above the 10-year average.

Australian Oilseeds Federation executive officer Nick Goddard said for the past two years there had been virtually no crops grown in the northern part of the state, while in the south a lot of canola was cut for hay.

"The result was that the major crushers in NSW had to import grain from South Australia or Western Australia," Mr Goddard said.

However, he said this year good looking crops, high prices (about $560/t) and solid domestic demand should lead to some smiling faces, and potentially even a surplus for export.

"Once we satisfy the east coast domestic demand of roughly a million tonnes, we could be looking at up to 400,000t excess which could be exported," Mr Goddard said.

Australia's number one export destination is Europe, usually supplied by South Australia and Western Australia, but a market NSW could be contributing to this year.

"China and Japan are also good destinations for east coast export," Mr Goddard said.

But, the headers aren't rolling out of the sheds yet and Mr Goddard said crops in northern NSW in particular were starting to dry off.

"They got off to a great start and were well fed throughout the season, but there's no immediate prospect of rain, so as the crops come into seed and pod development they will draw on the last of their moisture reserves," Mr Goddard said.

"We will need to get some spring rains to help develop the oil content in the seed."

Even in the south, near Wagga Wagga, growers were beginning to look to the skies again.

Simon Moloney, north-east of Wagga, has in 1000 hectares of ATR Gem canola.

He said the crops looked promising with average rainfall received throughout the year, but they had experienced rain dropping off in spring before.

"We are in a better position than last year, but not by a great deal. We had good rain until the second week of August last year and it didn't rain from then on," he said.

Mr Moloney said the price offered for canola this year was attractive and they didn't plan to carry any post harvest.

However, the recent years of low production were still too fresh to consider forward contracting earlier in the season.

"I'm happy to sell 70pc of expected production at this stage, but I don't tend to sell before September," Mr Moloney said.

Riverina Oils and Bio Energy seed merchant Britt Golder said others had been keen to lock in early.

"Forward selling has been significant this year, especially at the peak of COVID-19, when the Australian dollar was sitting around 55 cents," Ms Golder said.

"It made our canola price really strong and attracted a lot of forward selling."

In her third year with the company, Ms Golder said the prospect of being able to find supply within a 100 kilometre radius of their Bomen crush was a welcome change of events.