Rain numbers: Crops poised for strong spring

Crops across most of Victoria’s major grain growing regions are set to power into spring with significant moisture in the tank after above-average rains.

Crops across most of Victoria’s major grain growing regions are set to power into spring with significant moisture in the tank.

Spring officially begins next Thursday and farmers say their winter crops are well positioned heading into the crucial season thanks to timely and above-average autumn and winter rain.

Most parts of the state benefited from good falls in the past week with the biggest totals in Gippsland, northern Victoria, the North East, the Wimmera and southwest Victoria.

Picture: Zoe Phillips

The Mallee also recorded good rain with Dylan Fox from Lalbert saying the season is shaping up as the best since 2016 for his area.

“We had another 8mm this week and it is just keeping things ticking along nicely,” Mr Fox said.

“It is not too wet or too dry but another 20-30mm would make it very wet.”

Mr Fox said crops in the area were looking good and there was probably enough subsoil moisture to get them through “even if the tap switches off”.

Nutrien Ag Solutions southeast stud stock manager Peter Godbolt said the recent rain across southeast Australia had promised a good spring.

“It is nice and wet out there and we will be assured of a good spring in the North East,” Mr Godbolt said. “The timing could not be more perfect with bull sales coming up and it will just add that extra bit of confidence to the market.”

For the year to date, Victoria’s wettest centres include Horsham, which has received 331mm of rain this year or 91 per cent of its long-term annual average with four months of the year remaining.

Swan Hill is also tracking well, having received 265mm of rain so far this year, or 88 per cent of its 12-month average ahead of Mildura (249mm or 87 per cent of its average), Warracknabeal (326mm or 83 per cent).

In the east of the state, Gelantipy has recorded 639mm of rain for the year so far, equalling 82 per cent of its annual average, followed by Omeo (524mm or 82 per cent), Bairnsdale (518mm or 81 per cent) and Sale (463mm or 79 per cent).

At the other end of the scale, Hamilton has received only 55 per cent of its annual average so far, with 333mm with Warrnambool and Ballarat each tracking at 57 per cent (414mm and 392mm respectively) and Portland sitting on 58 per cent (489mm).