Victoria’s Wimmera and Mallee received good rains yesterday

AFTER a “very, very ordinary” cropping season last year, Donald farmer Derek Hollis has welcomed rain on his property this week.

Donald farmer Dereck Hollis welcomes the rain

AFTER a “very, very ordinary” cropping season last year, Donald farmer Derek Hollis has welcomed rain on his property yesterday.

Mr Hollis received about 23mm of rain on Monday, which was the biggest rainfall since January this year and brought his total for June to 36mm.

Last year was a disappointment after a dry winter and spring, Mr Hollis said, but he was still upbeat about this year despite the lack of an autumn break.

“We had a very, very ordinary year last year with big losses,” he said.

“But I’m still optimistic despite the late start if we get rain at the right times.”

Other cropping areas in the Wimmera and Mallee also received good falls. Swan Hill recorded 29mm to 9am today, Charlton 16mm, Horsham 15mm and Stawell 21mm.

Birchip Cropping Group research manager Claire Browne reported 20.5mm in the region and 28mm at Hopetoun, which were the biggest falls of the year.

“It could even mean some growers may put in an extra paddock or two on the back of this rain,” she said.

Meanwhile at Elmore, Andrew Holmberg received 14mm on Monday after he finished his 2630ha cropping program last week. He said the paddocks had poor subsoil moisture after a dry summer. He said strong southerly winds had also been drying the crops out.

But he said the rain would “help everything and give us some confidence.”

About 50 per cent of his crops were out of the ground at the moment but this week’s rain would help, he said. “But canola is suffering it’s been a bit too dry,” he said. “That’s what’s hurting us.

“We have no subsoil moisture at the moment. It’s hand to mouth. There is nothing in the tank.”

Mr Holmberg, who farms with his brother Colin and his father, ­George, said they have increased their chick pea plantings this year because of high prices and the better varieties on offer.

“Last year it got too wet with the chick peas. This year we sowed them four weeks earlier and they are up and about. With good grain prices we don’t need such good yields and we can still break even,” he said.