Rainfall deficiencies in the Murray-Darling Basin are the third lowest on record

Parts of South Australia have missed out on nearly one year’s worth of rain in the past two years, as a new report shows rainfall deficiencies in the Murray-Darling Basin are the third lowest on record.

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Parts of South Australia have missed out on nearly one year’s worth of rain in the past two years, as a new report shows rainfall deficiencies in the Murray-Darling Basin are the third lowest on record.

The drought is limiting the state’s cattle supplies, with many farmers selling off stock in the past few months.

It is also a nervous time for irrigators, with a report put out by the Bureau of Meteorology this week showing northern Murray-Darling Basin storage levels are lower than during the Millennium Drought.

While producers are looking to the skies hoping for a decent break to the season, worryingly, the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest climate outlook is showing only 50 per cent chance of April to June rainfall being above average.

Scott Endersby, who farms on the Fleurieu Peninsula and runs the weekly Mount Compass cattle sale with his father Kym and brother Clint, said dry conditions meant producers had to sell off cattle three to four months earlier than usual and about 150 kilograms lighter than normal.

TAKING STOCK: Fleurieu Peninsula farmer Kym Endersby says the drought has forced him to prematurely sell his cattle due to the shortage of dry feed and hay. Picture: Tait Schmaal

“Quality killable cattle are getting few and far between,” he said.

Mr Endersby said cattle numbers were tighter than other years because of the lack of dry feed and hay, even on the Fleurieu Peninsula, which is usually very reliable for rainfall.

“The season hasn’t helped with either holding condition on cattle or gaining it,” he said.

“There are a lot of nervous people, because we’re so far behind the eight-ball with feed supplies.”

Elders Dublin/Yorke Peninsula livestock manager Matt Ward said cattle numbers at the Dublin saleyard had dwindled to only a couple of hundred head a week and supply was also tight on lamb and mutton. This tight supply lead heavy lambs to hit $248 at Dublin this week, close to the record $250 price set last year for lambs.

Mr Ward said farmers would be hoping for at least 25 millimetres of rain this month, to help kick off the season.

“I think if you drove from Coomandook to Port Augusta, you wouldn’t notice much of a difference in the conditions, it’s dry and dusty everywhere,” he said.

Meat & Livestock Australia market intelligence manager Scott Tolmie said the low number of cattle was an Australia-wide trend, with the national herd dipping below 26 million, a couple of million less than two years ago.

Water Minister David Spiers said continuing dry conditions across the Murray-Darling Basin meant there was a high risk that South Australia would not be guaranteed its full River Murray entitlement of 1850 gigalitres at the start of the 2019-20 season.

Mr Spiers said opening allocations would be announced no later than April 15.