Thursday, February 13, 2025

Hopes rain will break drought pattern

Recent stories

Christine Webster,  Murray Pioneer

The organisation representing farmers in the Mallee is hoping the arrival of the first decent downpour of rain since January has broken a pattern of drought conditions.

Mallee Sustainable Farming (MSF) delivers Research Development and Extensions services to farmers based in low-rainfall areas of the Riverland, Murray Mallee, north west Victoria and south west New South Wales.

MSF communications and extension manager Tanja Morgan, who is based in Geranium in the Murray Mallee, said for growers who had sowed their crops a bit later in the season, last week’s rain may have been beneficial.

“For anyone who still has some green crops, it would probably help fill the grain that is there a little bit better,” she said.

“But in terms of improving the outcome of a poor year, we are way too late for that.

“It will only help whatever is not yet ripe to finish properly.” 

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, 32mm of rain fell between 9pm on Thursday, until 3am on Friday, at Loxton.

A total of 25.2mm of rain was recorded at Renmark between 3pm on Thursday, to 9am on Friday, and Glue Pot Station, at Waikerie, received 29.2mm of rain on Friday.

Ms Morgan said for farmers who had already started harvesting their crops, the rain had arrived far too late and was probably more of a “nuisance”.

She said some grain producers had also started making hay and too much rain could cause damage.

But Ms Morgan said farmers would welcome more rain in summer to replenish the soil moisture for next year.

She said the Bureau of Meteorology rainfall records indicated many Mallee farming areas in SA had experienced six months of drought conditions.

Ms Morgan said she had experienced her lowest rainfall season on record on her grain and hay-producing property at Geranium.

“It has pretty much written off the growing season,” she said.

Ms Morgan said farmers that were able to put in place good practices, such as storing fallow moisture with good summer weed control, had managed to sow early.

She said those that had established seed on better soil types would have had some crops come up early.

But Ms Morgan said the devastating frost last month wiped out a lot of the wheat, canola, pulses and some barley.

She said it would assist farmers if Australian governments publically acknowledged a drought.

State and federal governments no longer officially make drought declarations.

“It is important that governments acknowledge what farmers are going through,” Ms Morgan said.

She said she understood why they no longer made drought declarations.

“I see why they do it as they don’t want it to come with requests for a hand out,” Ms Morgan said.

“However it is really important that farmers feel validated with what they are going through and the flow on effect it has on rural communities.

“In the past, exceptional circumstances have been declared after two years of drought.” 

Ms Morgan encouraged farmers going through financially tough times to reach out for business support through rural financial counselling.

“That would be the first point of call,” she said.

“When those services are used a lot, that gets fed back to government departments and can trigger a response in terms of validating current hardship.” 

Farmers in NSW and Victoria will donate hay to struggling livestock producers across SA.

Aussie Hay Runners, operated by the Heyfield Lions Club, in Gippsland, Victoria, is expected to arrive in Tailem Bend early next month.

The trucks will then deliver hay to farmers in areas that include Morgan, Mt Mary, Loveday, Parilla, Truro and the Mid North.

Murray Pioneer 23 October 2024

This article appeared in the  Murray Pioneer, 23 October 2024.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Sign up for updates from Australian Rural & Regional News

Manage your subscription

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

For all the news from the Murray Pioneer, go to https://www.murraypioneer.com.au

Latest stories from the Murray Pioneer on ARR.News