Rain causes grain growers to pause sowing, but season in “fantastic” position

It has been an impressive start to the cropping season for Victorian growers, but recent rain has meant sowing in the state came to a halt for some.

Bumper start: VFF grains vice-president Craig Henderson, who farms near Berriwillock, has received about 98mm of rain from the start of April.

SOME Victorian grain growers’ sowing programs have been stalled after receiving more rain in the past two months than they have had in the past two years.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains president and Rutherglen farmer Ashley Fraser said rainfall totals had varied across the state, but Victoria was “looking fantastic”.

But he said the abundance of rain meant some growers’ seeder rigs were getting bogged and sowing programs put on pause.

“Most people have been held up with sowing for four or five days in the North East,” Mr Fraser said.

“A plethora of growers were also getting their seeding rigs bogged, as a number of areas are a bit wet. The last rain we received was about 80mm and we had to stop sowing for a week. We are just getting back going now planting canola, wheat and barley.”

And with cool but fine weather ahead, Mr Fraser said growers were getting all they could in the ground now.

VFF grains vice-president Craig Henderson, who farms near Berriwillock, has had an “excellent start to the season”, receiving about 98mm of rain from the start of April.

“We have completed about 40 per cent of our sowing,” Mr Henderson said. “We only had to have a few days break and should get most of the crop in by the end of the month.”

MORE: DRENCHING MAKES IT AN AWESOME AUTUMN

GRAIN GROWERS REAP REWARD OF PLUMMETING FUEL PRICES

‘DEEP CONCERN’ AS CHINA MOOTS BARLEY TARIFFS

This season, Mr Henderson planted wheat, lentils, canola vetch and oats but pulled about 15 per cent of his barley plantings, following fears over China hitting Australian barley with tariffs of potentially 80 per cent.

“It was too late for some who had already put their whole crop in,” he said.