Weather: Victorian farmers welcome late-season rain

Farmers have emptied the gauge with varying results from late-season falls this week. We breakdown the figures.

A turnaround in fortunes has occurred with farmers receiving handy rain in the past seven days and drought-parched Western Australia finally experienced a seasonal break.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology the cropping area of Three Springs in WA has recorded 62mm of rain in the past week and while it might be too late for canola it is good news for wheat.

Chad Eva of Three Springs measured 68mm of rain at his property and is expecting more later this week. He said it was now a case of applying inputs and targeting weeds before the next rain arrives.

In NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, the rain has also come as a welcome boost while Queensland, which experienced wetter conditions earlier on in the season, largely missed out.

The Gippsland region received 65mm in the past week, measured at Balook.

Mitta Mitta had 35.4mm, Coldstream 22mm, Daylesford 21.6mm, Ensay 18mm, Omeo 11.16mm, Wodonga 16.8mm, Mansfield 13.4mm, Maffra 10mm, Yea 10mm and Casterton 6.8mm.

Agronomist and farmer Josh Merrett farms at Leeor in the Wimmera said around 20mm was the benchmark for rain last week and followups at Nhill over the weekend resulted in 22.4 for the seven days.

“This rain is marvellous and we need it,” he said.

Crops are emerging well at Bundalong. Picture: Zoe Phillips

In NSW Perisher Valley had 106mm for the seven days, Orange, 24.6mm, Cooma on the Monaro recorded a 8.3mm, Ganmain, 7.8mm, Hay, 7.2mm and Condobolin 5.8mm.

Ted Hatty of Tocumwal.

Ted Hatty grows wheat and canola at Tocumwal and said all his winter crops had emerged. His property received 5mm of rain in the past week.

“Canola is a bit slower than I would like, but it seems to be coming along okay,” he said.

Malcolm Holm farms in the southern Riverina. Picture: Dale Webster

Finley dairy farmer Malcolm Holm said he measured 5mm this week, and it was welcome.

“Things are ticking along, and we are not too wet or too dry,” he said.

John Ferrier said 4mm fell at his Birchip property earlier in the week and after the weekend the tally for the area was 22.8mm.

“We were fortunate to have subsoil moisture, and crops had emerged well,” he said.

“There has been some frost, but it is not causing any damage at this stage”.

Chris Badcock of Fairbank at Hagley. Picture: Supplied

In Tasmania, it is a tale of two seasons with parts of the north receiving handy rainfall and the south still experiencing dry conditions. About 47.4mm fell at Sheffield on the northwest coast, and Pipers River in the northeast had 36.8mm.

Bothwell in the highlands recorded 11.4mm, and Campania in the Coal River Valley had 7.4mm.

At Hagley in Tasmania, Chris Badcock said his property received 25mm of rain in the past week.

“It is a very late break for us, but at least we know it can rain,” he said.

Mr Badcock said there had been several frosts, and the daytime temperatures had dropped to 11 to 12 degrees, meaning growth would now slow down.

“It is late rain, but we are still hoping to see a benefit from it,” he said.

South Australia, has had a slight reprieve with Mount Gambier receiving 8mm, Bordertown 14.4mm, and Roseworthy 12.6mm.

Western Australia has had good followup rain after 58mm was recorded in Perth a week ago and then another 12mm fell. Kojonup had 16mm and York, 17.8.

Negligible rain fell in Queensland, with Warwick recording 1mm and Texas .5mm.