Weather Victoria: Grain growers miss out on crucial autumn rain

Grain growers are in a holding pattern as they watch the Victorian skies for rain. With just days of autumn left, they are fixing their sights on a new hope.

Leonard Vallance, in this file photo, says after 100mm of rain on January 1 his Mallee property has had no further falls, but he and other district croppers are nearly finished sowing.

Farmers in Victoria’s major grain growing regions are on tenterhooks after missing out on crucial autumn-breaking rain.

Despite forecast minor falls yesterday, areas of the Wimmera and Mallee are rated as “dry as a chip” by growers with some receiving as little as 5 per cent of their normal autumn rain, with just days of the season remaining.

Winter officially starts next Tuesday but the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting little to no rain for northwest Victoria between now and then.

“It looks like we are going from looking for an autumn break to looking for a winter break,” National Farmers’ Federation vice president and Wimmera farmer David Jochinke said. “There is very little or no crop up in the area and we are really chasing a substantial rain to give us potential for the season.

“It is a test of nerves at the moment.”

According to BOM figures, Mildura had received just 5mm of rain between the start of autumn and 9am yesterday, representing just 5 per cent of its normal autumn total. Birchip had received just 8mm while Hopetoun had picked up 13mm and Swan Hill 18mm.

Other centres to have recorded less than an inch on the old scale so far this autumn included Ouyen (20mm) and Nhill (21mm). Warracknabeal had picked up 31mm, Longerenong and Wycheproof each recorded 32mm, while Horsham and Charlton measured 35mm and 40mm respectively. After good rain in March, Echuca has recorded just 6mm since the start of April and Kerang has received 11mm.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Miriam Bradbury said the Wimmera and Mallee areas were unlikely to see rain for the remainder of the week, after yesterday’s falls.

She said most parts were expecting 5-12mm of rain yesterday but elevated areas in the Grampians could see as much as 20-22mm.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains group president Ashley Fraser said growers in the Wimmera and Mallee were in dire need of rain after dry sowing.

“In the North East we are travelling OK, it’s not wet by any stretch but there is enough moisture to get the crops away,” Mr Fraser said.

“We don’t need a lot, if we can get a good amount (yesterday) and it looks like there will be some follow up rain next week – that will be good.

“But if we don’t it is going to be concerning”.

Mallee farmer Leonard Vallance said he had received 100mm of rain on his property this year, which all fell on January 1. But despite needing rain he said most croppers were about two thirds of the way through their sowing programs.

“About 90 per cent of the crop has been sown here including fodder, hay, oats and legumes,” Mr Vallance said. “Growers have held off on paddocks where there are weed problems.

“It is a late start but we have more crop in the ground this year compared to other late starts.”

Mr Vallance said technology and confidence in chemicals had spurred farms on to sow, despite the dry.

“On the livestock front we aren’t hand feeding yet,” he said. “We sold our calves at a lighter weight than normal because prices were so good, and will now focus on next year’s calves”.

“This is because of the cold weather, we are seeing less in the paddock,” he said.

Cattle producers unsure about seasonal conditions and keen to cash-in on the big money now available for young cattle are in the midst of an unusual autumn sell-off of cattle.

This comes despite the strengthening outlook for red meat globally.

There was a clearance of store cattle out of Western Victoria last week, with 5200 head sold at Mortlake and 4200 at Ballarat with further major sales scheduled this week.

Agents said the southern industry was in the midst of an “unbelievable” pre-winter turn off, lured out by record high prices but also a shift in production away from finishing cattle.

The season in most other parts of Victoria is considered fair with Gippsland, the South West coast and central Victoria recording good rain totals during May. Gelantipy in the High Country recorded 87mm for the month with nearby Omeo picking up 83mm, Warrnambool measuring 79mm, ahead of Sale (75mm), Bairnsdale (73mm), Mortlake and Portland (54mm) and Geelong (51mm).

Gippsland is tracking the best for rain so far this year. Yarram has recorded 59 per cent of its annual average, followed by Gabo Island (56 per cent), Gelantipy (53mm) and Bairnsdale (46 per cent). At the other end of the scale, Swan Hill has recorded less than 10 per cent of its annual average, with Ouyen and Birchip each tracking at just 12 per cent.

In NSW, Forbes, Condobolin and West Wyalong have received 96 per cent, 94 per cent and 91 per cent of their respective annual average totals already while Hay has recorded just 15 per cent of its average. Hay has only measured 0.6mm of rain since the start of April.

Mr Fraser said while farmers in Victoria had seen the worst of the mice plague that had ravaged NSW in particular, there has been an increase in the number of mice found in sheds and homes.

— with James Wagstaff and Kate Dowler