WITH high hopes for the rain forecast at the weekend, most farmers were rewarded.
Widespread rain fell across northern and Central West NSW and brought much needed relief, further south, however, it was more patchy with some missing out.
Falls of about 30 millimetres in the north were common with follow-up rain also forecast across the coming two weeks.
“Hopefully things have changed and this is a good sign for spring,” said Bureau of Meteorology, Moree, officer in charge Michael Glasson.
Mr Glasson said there was still a 50 per cent chance of a dry summer due to El Niño, but there were also light showers forecast this weekend and next week for most of the North West Slopes and Plains and the Northern Tablelands.
Falls were varied across the Central West, according to Delta Ag sales agronomist Rodney Kruger, Trangie.
“Most croppers here would have had a crop anyway, but it would have been tight,” he said.
“The rain has really finished them off and given them a good boost.”
While crops suffered some frost damage early in the season, Mr Kruger hoped the crops that were planted later would avoid excessive damage.
“As long as we don’t get a late frost, just about everybody will get a crop off.”
Jim Hunt from Hunt Ag Solutions, Gunnedah, said while most in the area received rain, farmers would need another significant fall in a month’s time for a good summer crop and to finish current crops.
“The rain’s lifted people’s spirits and optimism will start to entertain crop ideas for summer, but we’re still far short of what we need to plant a summer crop,” Mr Hunt said.
Local Land Services (LLS) senior land officer in cropping Brooke Sauer, Moree, agreed.
“The outlook for the season without further rainfall was looking quite desperate, so the 20mm to 40mm of widespread rainfall for the northern plains is a positive step.”
She said the later-sown crops would have benefited from the rain, although it was too early to say if it was going to impact on the yield.
Cattle producers also benefited, especially those who planted oats or ryegrass for feed, according to Armitage and Buckley principal Victor Moar.
While most would need follow-up rain to see benefits for their feed, those who had destocked and kept up with fertiliser applications, would see good clover growth.
Mr Moar said the area hadn’t received enough rain to improve the store market locally, but the rain may have been enough for producers to buy a few more cattle.
“People who have a crop in would be thinking about buying,” he said.
In the northern coastal regions it was a mixed bag with big falls of about 100mm in Murwillumbah and Ballina, and 50mm in Grafton.
This would result in additional grazing in ryegrass and oat paddocks, and, in a small number of cases, save winter cereal crops.
However, the western areas of the region, which were desperate for rain, received only 15mm to 25mm and the wind of the past few days looked like destroying any benefit.
BGA Agriservices agronomist Stephen Leeson, Grafton, said the rain would be a huge boost to the winter ryegrass and oats planted on beef properties.
“With soil temperatures starting to increase now, it will also kick off species like Rhodes grass,” he said.
Norco’s Bill Fulkerson said ryegrass and kikuyu on dairies across the Tweed were starting to move and, provided there were no frosts and some follow-up rain, should make for a good spring.
But around Kyogle, where a number of producers delayed or limited irrigation due to cost, the situation was still desperate, he said.
Those who did opt to irrigate thoroughly have done so for four months.
The majority of beef operations were heavily reliant on follow-up rain, according to LLS staff at Lismore and Kempsey.
For the region’s cane growers, the rain was handy for building soil moisture ahead of September planting and only delayed harvesting for three days.
In the south of the State the “general feeling is one of disappointment”, said IK Caldwell, Deniliquin agronomist Tim Colvin.
“Especially as there had been good forecasts, and people were certainly looking forward to it.
“The crops and pastures in the district will still be all right, as long as the rain comes soon.”
Quade Moncreiff Livestock and Property, West Wyalong, principal Paul Quade said the area fared a little better with falls of between 15mm and 25mm.
“The sheep were just starting to get on top of the crops, and some crops were even starting to yellow-off near trees so it came just in time.”
Mr Quade said the rain would help the stock market.
“If there is some follow-up to this rain, the prospects for the southern spring sales is pretty good,” he said.
