Victorian farmers weigh up the benefits of resowing with forecasts offering hopes of rain

Victorian farmers have started resowing winter crops, or are considering their options ahead of forecast rain this weekend.

Victorian farmers are hedging their bets and weighing up whether to resow crops or wait as hopes hinge on much-needed forecast rain this weekend.

Horsham farmer Luke Rethus has been resowing most of his canola and a small portion of wheat after the crops emerged but then struggled due to the dry conditions.

“We are hoping to see the rain on the weekend, and if we don’t get the rain soon it will be too late for canola,” he said.

In addition to the dry conditions the region has also been hit by frosts and the plants that had germinated had shoots showing but then died.

“We are hoping for 10mm this weekend but it depends on the forecast, it is changing every day,” he said.

Concerns about the dire season were evident in the ABARES crop report released this week. National winter crop plantings remain historically high for 2025–26 at 24.9 million hectares; but overall production was revised downwards to 55.6 million tonnes, with tough seasonal conditions in southern NSW, South Australia, and Victoria cited as key factors.

Pimpinio farmer Chris Bartlett is prepared to resow but keeping a close eye on the weather.

“We are studying the situation and watching what is going on,” he said.

Mr Bartlett said some canola had already germinated and later died, and if he were to resow, it would be canola.

“We are just hoping this forecast rain will tip things in the direction of germination,” he said.

“Everything is just so dry and our last rain on Monday last week ranged from 5mm to 10mm,” he said.

“We need to see double-digit figures at least out of the rain forecast this weekend. We have only measured 36mm for the year,” he said. The annual average rainfall is 360mm.

There were also concerns about the colder weather and frost risks.

“Resowing is always a very calculated decision, and I am still fairly confident we will get rain ... I’m staying positive,” he said.

Rupunyup agronomist Ben Cordes. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist and farmer at Rupunyup Ben Cordes said there had been some very “strong conversations” around resowing, especially given the possibility of rain this weekend.

“You have to know your own situation and surround yourself with good information. Only you can make the best decision about resowing,” he said.

“The forecast is for accumulative falls of 10mm to 15mm on Saturday to Monday, and hopefully, we see falls at the upper limit of that; that is what we are all praying for.”

Todd Venning of Hamilton said people in his area had started to resow pastures and were considering replanting crops, too, but there was hope up to 20mm would fall this weekend.

“If we can get that 20mm, crops will germinate, and it will get things going,” he said.

“We need this rain, and we have already had a few frosts. I had a frost yesterday morning (Sunday.”