Autumn a tale of two seasons for farmers

Some Victorian farmers are recording good rain — but others are missing out on falls completely. FIND OUT WHERE

Autumn 2021 rainfall as a percentage of the long-term average.

It has been a famine-or-feast type of autumn for farmers across southeast Australia, with some recording good rain but others missing out on falls completely.

An analysis of Bureau of Meteorology rainfall figures for March to May showed areas of the NSW Riverina and northwest Victoria recording a drier-than-average season which farmers fear has the potential to derail winter cropping programs.

Mildura in the Mallee received just 13mm during autumn – or 20 per cent of its long-term average – while Hay in the Riverina recorded 24mm for the three months, or 26 per cent of what it would normally expect.

Other centres recording less than 50 per cent of their normal autumn rain included Hopetoun, with 18mm representing 30 per cent of its average, Balranald NSW (28mm or 37 per cent), Swan Hill (23mm or 38 per cent) and Warracknabeal (41mm or 48 per cent). Nhill recorded 30mm or exactly 50 per cent of its average.

Mallee farmer Ron Hards, who just finished sowing his winter crops in the Millewa district west of Mildura, said local farmers needed rain “two months ago”.

“We’ve had about 50mm for the year and pretty much all of that was on the 2nd of January,” Mr Hards said.

“We got about 6mm last week and we were looking for another 5-10mm this week, but that seems to have fizzled out. If we get a good one, you’ll probably hear us yelling from there.

“If we can get rain before the middle of the month, it will still be OK, if we get the season they are talking about with a good winter and spring.”

At the other end of the scale, the season in parts of Gippsland and central Victoria is tracking well thanks to above-average rain. Bairnsdale’s 215mm for March-May represented 145 per cent of its long-term average while Sale‘s 208mm equalled 140 per cent of its average.

Other centres to record a wetter-than-average autumn included Bendigo (141mm or 135 per cent), Ararat (155mm or 124 per cent), Yarrawonga (121mm or 122 per cent), Narrandera (127mm or 121 per cent), Omeo (169mm or 114 per cent), Wagga Wagga (150mm or 110 per cent) and the Latrobe Valley (175mm or 110 per cent).

According to BOM’s eight-day rainfall outlook, most of the Wimmera, Mallee and central Victoria can only expect minor falls of 5-10mm in the next week. Parts of the northern Mallee are forecast to receive 1-5mm.