Rob Bell, Malcolm Holm: Heavy November rain threatens crop quality but boosts pastures

Storms have dumped untimely rain for some and a “morale boost” for others in Victoria, NSW and SA. See all the latest rainfall figures.

Isolated late November storms have dumped heavy rain in patches of southeastern Australia, causing worry for some but respite for others.

Nhill in western Victoria had the highest seven-day rainfall totals in the state with 75mm until 9am Monday, including 20mm in a thunderstorm late Friday.

Rob Bell, a cropper with land east and west of Nhill, said the rain did not affect hay production, but he was only a week into a harvest that traditionally wraps up just before Christmas.

“We’ve got all our hay finished thankfully,” he said.

“We’ve just started harvest and it’s going to knock around the grain quality I would have thought.

“It’s also the logistics of trying to get the stuff out of the paddock.

“Hopefully we’re not pulling headers out of the bog again like we were last year.”

More rain is forecast this week, but luckily there has not been any hailstorms that could do untold damage to wheat and barley heads.

“We are meant to get more rain, but I don’t think it is going to be as much as they originally forecast,” he said.

Rob Bell farmer at Kinimakatka near Nhill.

Fellow Wimmera cropper Matt Rohde received about 80mm across the weekend at his property neat Jeparit and said his eyes were on the skies to see how much more rain might fall this week.

“It’s pulled us up with harvest for now. We’ve finished our canola and lentils and are harvesting barley now,” he said.

“A rain like this we can bank for next year. The concern is quality moving forward particularly with wheat and falling numbers.

Puddles in paddocks at Matt Rohde’s Jeparit property.

“The rain forecast for the next couple of days as well certainly isn’t ideal.”

Across the border, Naracoorte in South Australia recorded its wettest November day on record with 71mm falling, with the heaviest falls being midafternoon.

Elders livestock manager Josh Reeves said there were unofficial reports of up to 170mm between Naracoorte and nearby Kybybolite for the day.

“We got under a cloud and the rain proper went for it,” he said.

The most severe hail and flash-flooding was confined to Naracoorte township with the downfall coming after a “quite dry” period.

The two-day figure of 117.8mm is also a record for Naracoorte.

“A lot of the croppers aren’t too concerned,” Mr Reeves said.

“It was mainly in town.

“Whatever dry feed was, there that will be gone.

“But what lucerne and summer crops there are, it is only going to kick that into gear.

“It had been quite dry and with a very early end to our season for our green feed.”

The hit-and-miss nature of rain in the past week was evident at Finley with farmers receiving just 2mm.

Meanwhile in other parts of the Riverina, Deniliquin received 30mm, Wagga Wagga 38mm and 15mm at Hay.

Riverina dairy farmer and fodder producer Malcolm Holm said the rain had been patchy, to say the least.

“It is very localised,” he said.

NSW Riverina dairy farmer Malcolm Holm. Picture: Dale Webster

He measured 2mm and said the small amount would benefit lucerne crops.

“Anybody who is trying to harvest crops would be very worried,” he said.

To the north at Bendemeer in NSW, Norm Thomas emptied 150mm out of the gauge and said it was the best morale booster for farmers who were experiencing dry times.

The livestock producer, who also grows grazing crops, said everyone in the district welcomed the rain.

“The cattle are enjoying some green pick, and our other property, near Warlialda, had 80mm,” he said.

Despite harvest being complete throughout much of NSW, he confirmed there were still some wheat crops standing in the district, for which the rain would not have been ideal.

“But it has been tremendous for our pastures, and our new summer and annual pastures have started to germinate … this is just a real boost for us,” he said.