Creswick storm causes millions of dollars in crop damage

No announcement has been made yet on what assistance will be available for potato farmers affected by last week’s storm.

Millions of dollars of damage was caused to potato crops in the Creswick area on Thursday when heavy rainfall and hail fell on Thursday. Picture: Supplied

The Victorian Farmers Federation has estimated the losses from Thursday’s wild storm in Creswick, north of Ballarat, at more than $25 million.

VFF horticulture vice president Katherine Myers said she was on the ground alongside staff from Agriculture Victoria on Wednesday speaking to farmers and assessing damage.

“My estimates are $25 million (in damage) to farmers alone. That doesn’t even cover what we’ve estimated for remediation,” she said.

Potato farmers were among the worst affected by the storm, but Ms Myer said pyrethrum, carrot, hops, fodder and flower crops were also damaged, if not completely wiped out.

She said it had “taken a while to realise the extent of the damage,” and she expected the next few weeks to be “a rollercoaster”.

Compared to other natural disasters like fire, “it is much more complicated to understand the implications of a storm,” Ms Myers said.

“Every time the sun shines, and the wind blows, and things start to look like they’re drying out, people feel really positive and optimistic.

“But they’re talking storms again tomorrow (Thursday). If we get 2mm, it will be fine. If we get 40mm it will compound the damage.”

She said potato and pyrethrum growers were facing fungus and disease in their crops if soils stayed waterlogged for long periods.

Growers were assessing the quality of their soils and may have to reapply fertiliser after topsoil washed away in the storm, she said.

And farmers who lost fodder crops would have to buy in supplies to keep their stock fed.

Some potato plants were washed away on Thursday. Picture: Supplied

Creswick potato grower Rodney Guthrie told The Weekly Timeshis business had been “devastated” by Thursday’s storm, which dumped 125mm of rain, plus hail, on his property in just 1.5 hours.

“We got a double whammy. We got a hailstorm just before the rain. It’s done extensive damage,” he said.

He said the hail damaged 90 acres of potatoes.

“All the stems are torn to shreds or broken in half. I’ve never seen a crop destroyed so bad. I don’t know if it will come back,” he said.

Mollongghip grower Mark Hanrahan said he had received an incredible 245mm of rain and hail on Thursday, 80 per cent of which landed in one hour.

He said one third of his potato crop was “severely” damaged.

A spokeswoman for Victorian Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said assessments were continuing to determine what support farmers would be able to access.
“Agriculture Victoria is working with the local community to further assess the impact of the storm determine what other support can be provided,” the spokeswoman said.