Widespread rain in Victoria a cause for celebration

FARMERS are busy after widespread rain across Victoria last week.

Harcourt apples and rain

FARMERS are busy after widespread rain across Victoria last week.

Consistent totals fell across much of the state, but Lima East, south of Benalla, was one of the biggest winners with 142mm.

Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Blair Trewin said most of Victoria had received at least 25mm, with many regions drenched with 50mm to 100mm.

“It’s been surprisingly even,” Dr Trewin said.

“The areas that got a bit less — 25mm to 50mm — have been northern Victoria from the Mallee stretching across to Echuca, and also southern Victoria from Melbourne eastwards,” he said.

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Apple growers at Harcourt in central Victoria welcomed the deluge.

Growers said the timing of the rain had been spot on for orchards that are about a month away from the start of harvest.

“It’s been good, steady rain which has allowed it to soak into the ground,” said Rod Chaplin, who runs Chaplin Orchards with his brother Trevor.

“We’ll take all the weeds and other issues for what we’ve had this week.

“It has been perfect.”

Mr Chaplin said a period of warm weather followed by falls of 28mm over a week would boost fruit size.

“I remember Dad saying that if you can get a rain in January or February it will add dollars to your crop,” he said.

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The recent rain had allowed them to turn the pumps off and save money on water, which had been an added bonus, Mr Chaplin said. “And we didn’t have the rain in a big dump, so it hasn’t done any damage to roads and tracks,” he said.

But the rain has not been so beneficial for stone fruit growers. Fruit Growers Victoria industry development officer Tony Filippi said growers in the Goulburn Valley in particular would be on the lookout for brown rot.

“The rain has only really had a positive impact for pome fruit growers but it’s not so good for stone fruit,” he said.

“Growers will certainly be doing all they can to minimise the impact of brown rot infection.”

Frank McCormack, from Bullioh in Victoria’s North East, has had about 100mm of rain since January 1, and said it was more than welcome.

“Mud is money — we are not sending it back,” he said.

Mr McCormack, who runs a herd of Hereford cattle, said the rain would grow some summer feed. “We will also get a few weeds but at least it is green now,” he said.

According to the weather bureau, the outlook for the remainder of January is for reasonable rain in Victoria’s northeast but no major falls are forecast in the west.

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