Rainfall 2021: Drier than average April has Wimmera, Mallee farmers on alert

A drier than average April has Wimmera and Mallee farmers on alert, with one major centre recording zero rainfall for the month. Here’s where the rain fell.

A dry start to sowing season means many Wimmera and Mallee farmers are still waiting for the autumn break.

Farmers across the Wimmera and Mallee are still holding out for the all-important autumn break, with April proving to be drier than average for most of Victoria.

Mildura recorded no rainfall for the month, with just 5mm recorded in total for autumn so far, an analysis of Bureau of Meteorology data shows.

It’s a similar story across the region, with Walpeup recording just 1.2mm for April and Ouyen 1.8mm, while further south Kerang recorded 0.8mm and Swan Hill 2mm.

GrainGrowers chairman and Quambatook farmer Brett Hosking said many farmers had started dry sowing and, with little rain forecast in coming weeks, that was likely to continue.

“Most growers would have some of their crop in and I’d expect that to continue until it rains or they complete their program,” he said.

Mr Hosking said while rain on Tuesday had interrupted his sowing program, he was “not expecting a lot” from the showers.

“Typically the break through the Mallee is in mid-May, so while it’s certainly not late yet, ideally it would be coming in the next week or so … having said that, there’s nothing on the forecast,” he said.

VICTORIA’S LOWEST RAINFALL TOTALS FOR APRIL

Mildura: 0mm

Kerang: 0.8mm

Walpeup: 1.2mm

Ouyen: 1.8mm

Swan Hill: 2mm

Hopetoun: 3mm

Warracknabeal: 3.6mm

Horsham: 4.8mm

Source: Bureau of Meteorology

National Farmers’ Federation vice-president and Wimmera grains farmer David Jochinke said while “it’s not panic stations yet”, the current conditions did test the nerves.

“We’ve been here before and the lessons learnt is that fortune favours the brave, which means you still have to manage the risk of there only being a small amount of rain and not getting the follow-up,” he said.

“We’re keeping a good pace (with sowing), we’ve got one eye on the weather and another eye on the calendar.”

According to BOM, most of Victoria’s north had less than 20 per cent of the average rainfall expected for April, with the state’s total monthly rainfall 64 per cent less than the long-term mean of 51mm.

Other areas to record a drier than average April were Hopetoun (3mm), Charlton (1.2mm), Yarrawonga (1.6mm), Echuca (2.7mm).

The state’s east is faring marginally better but with still lower than average figures, with Bairnsdale recording 13.4mm – still just 24 per cent of its monthly average – and East Sale 12.2mm.

Meanwhile, the southwest looks to be in good shape, with Hamilton recording 29.6mm – 74 per cent of its April average – and Warrnambool 63.4mm. 

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