Mixed fortunes for SA farmers as deluge brings relief and fear alike as devastating drought looms
SOUTH Australia experienced a deluge of rain across parts of the state on Friday, but with a forecast for a drier than average spring the long-term outlook appears bleak for farmers.
South Australia experienced a deluge of rain across parts of the state on Friday, but with a forecast for a drier than average spring the long-term outlook appears bleak for farmers.
Some producers in the northeast and Eyre Peninsula are already under “extreme stress and drought” conditions, selling stock and buying in feed as the need for rain intensifies.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s long range outlook has forecast a drier than average August and September, prompting concerns of persistent dry conditions.
“It's been a really dry year and we’re seeing the possibility of a drier spring into early summer, which is a concern,” senior climatologist Darren Ray said.
“If we have a dry spring and summer heading into next year than that will really start stretching water availability.”
Mr Ray this year’s rain had been “patchy” across the state and the forecast for the coming days was more “showers” than anything substantial for regions that need it most.
“It continues to be a bit concentrated around the southern parts of the state, nothing will push inland that far, so it will be for areas that haven’t had bad rainfall this season,” he said.
“There’s a bit more expected this time next week, but again it’s a coastal front of showers.”
On Thursday, gale force winds whipped up dirt from the state’s dry paddocks, reaching 102km/h in some areas, and marked an end to SA’s driest July since 1999.
It was followed by significant rainfall in some parts, with Cummins Aero recording 32.8mm in a 24hr period, while others received just 3mm, if any at all.
“The rain for some was a welcomed respite, but we all know a lot more rain is required to get a good season,” Livestock SA president Joe Keynes said.
“There are some areas under extreme stress and in drought, while other areas have potential.”
This year’s patchy rainfall has affected parts of the Eyre Peninsula, with some grain farmers having sown crops twice only for them to be disturbed by wild winds.
Grain Producers SA director Jared Sampson, who is based at Warramboo near Wudianna, said there were some areas harder hit than others, prompting industry meetings.
“We had anything from 26-30mm here, but the stock agent at Arno Bay said they had 3mm, so it seems like it’s the drier areas that can’t seem to catch a break,” Mr Sampson said.
“There’s some lighter country that has been sown twice now trying to get cover on it, so it won’t disappear, because if we don’t get cover than the land will take a long time to recover.”
Arno Bay’s hopes turn to dust
ARNO BAY farmer Jarryn Preiss has little to show for the crop he sowed in May.
Instead of greenery, the paddock is brown, bone-dry and littered with rocks.
“I’ve never seen a start like this, even my dad says that,” the third generation farmer says,
“In the past, we’ve had poor years but always managed to get some feed and cover in our paddocks. Most of our cover disappeared in the wind this week.”
The Eyre Peninsula was whipped with gale force winds reaching 102km/h in some parts on Thursday, before some areas received a much-needed drenching.
However, Arno Bay missed out on significant rain and recorded just 4mm in a 24-hour period.
“We’ve had a total of 60mm of rain this year and a fair bit of that was in January, so it’s absolutely shocking here,” Mr Preiss says.
“Our annual rainfall is normally 330mm.
“At this stage we're going OK with our hay supplies because over the last three year’s we’ve made a lot, but there’s plenty of farmers around us that are struggling.”
Only 100km away in Lock, it’s a different story.
Lock received 31mm during the storm activity which helped to bolster spirits among the town’s farmers, but who all understood this year’s difficult season.
“We still need constant regular rainfall to complete the season, but this rainfall will help us out a lot,” Mardi Hancock says.
“A friend of ours in Cowell only got 3mm overnight and that's not far away, so we do feel bad in a way. You don’t want to rub it i n people’s faces.”
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