CATTLE prices are responding positively and the chance of getting in a winter crop has been refreshed after good falls of rain across much of the State last week.
Rain was patchy, with some areas in the State’s far north all but missing out, while other areas received as much as 200 millimetres.
A band from Croppa Creek through Moree, Narrabri and Gunnedah received 75 to 125mm of rain, while east of Gunnedah toward Tamworth typically received 50mm.
The Gum Flat side of Inverell was also in the 50mm vicinity, while to the north at Grahman and Cherry Tree Hill falls of as much as 200mm were recorded.
In the Northern Tablelands, areas such as Glen Innes and Guyra have received about 50mm since last Tuesday, while Tabulam received as much as 170mm.
In the State’s south the rain varied from as little as 15mm in parts near Lockhart, 40mm at Wagga Wagga to as much as 200mm at Wirrinya near Forbes.
About 50mm has fallen at Cooma since last Tuesday while on the South Coast, Narooma recorded 190mm.
Caragabal agronomist Larry McDonald, Delta Agribusiness, said it was the best March rain he could remember in the region.
He said local farmers were busy controlling weeds before the next forecast rain later this week.
He said if growers missed getting on top of them this week the weeds would grow out of control quickly.
Also at Delta Agribusiness, agronomist Elissa Strong, Lockhart, said vetch and field peas were being sown in her area and faba beans and lucerne were close to going in.
Pursehouse Rural agronomist, Tom Chaffey, Gunnedah, and Tamworth Rural agronomist Scott Woods said oat sowing had swung into action in their regions.
“We’ve got farmers putting in forage crops, mainly oats, and a bit of ryegrass as well,” Mr Woods said.
“At this stage follow up-rain is still critical for the winter crops.”
Bellata agronomist Sam Gulli-ford, McGregor Gourlay, said farmers would use the good soil profile to sow forage crops.
“As the weeks progress we’ve got a lot of oats, forage brassica and feed barley going in,” he said.
“We’re two or three weeks away from getting started with canola and faba beans and we’ll need some planting rain for the later crops like wheat, barley and chickpeas.”
Guyra Rural Services manager Campbell Wolfenden said good rain fell across the district last week.
“Everything has greened up and a lot of the dams appear to have risen too,” Mr Wolfenden said.
“There has been patchy rain, however, so some dams have hardly any water.
“Around here we need the early autumn rain to get the bulk of the feed.”
He said some in the area had dry sown winter forage crops, and
were counting on the rain to fall, but the risk had been rewarded.
While the country had greened up, he said, the drought was far from over and many still faced large feed bills; hay supply was also limited in the area.
“And the frost isn’t far around the corner in this part of the world,” he said.
While much of the north-east received good falls last week, Walgett received only 16mm.
Walgett Shire Council general manager Don Ramsland said there had been very little rain in the past week, and indeed during the past three months.
“This year in Walgett we have had 7.4 millimetres across four days in January, 25.8mm across four days in February, and 23mm across six days in March,” Mr Ramsland said.
Further north Lightning Ridge had just 9.9mm across three days in January, 29mm across six days in February and 17.5mm over eight days in March.
“The guys out there tell us they need from six to eight inches of rain (150mm to 200mm) on which to plant because the ground is so dry,” he said.
Mr Ramsland said the northern half of the Brewarrina Shire was also dry.
He said a morale boosting drought buster barbecue was to be held this Saturday night at Walgett Showground, having been organised by the West Tamworth Rotary Club.
In contrast, the North Coast recorded some of the biggest figures in the State, including 292mm at Murwillumbah since last Tuesday, while Lismore received 172mm and Kyogle 120mm.
