Big rainfalls change outlook for parched North West region

Widespread falls of up to 80 millimetres fell across Walgett, Brewarrina and Bourke and surrounds in the middle of harvest, interrupting what crops were worth stripping. 

The North West has been in dire need of a drink since the last major flood in early 2012. 

But the rain also brought good news for graziers. 

Dams were filled and summer growth made a head start. 

Walgett-based agronomic consultant Greg Rummery said there would be downgrades for the area’s small winter crop but it would still be better than feed quality. 

“It’s just a bit disappointing that we’ve waited three years to get a crop then it rains during harvest,” he said.

“It’ll start to knock about the grain quality but I don’t think we’re going to end up with feed wheat just yet.”

Most croppers still won’t have enough moisture for sowing.

“The rain will kickstart the fallow and add to soil profiles,” Mr Rummery said.

Graziers were the big winners from the rainfall.

“In the last couple of weeks we’ve had storm rain, so there was already a bit of feed about, but this more recent general fall of rain will really kickstart the grazing country,” Mr Rummery said,

“It’ll give farmers options. They might be able to bring some of their agisted stock back or take on some agistment stock.”

It’s given Brennan O’Keeffe’s property “Tootha”, 40 kilometres west of Walgett, a boost, half-filling dams that had been empty for two years. 

The 77mm he recorded last week means he won’t have to handfeed his 3000 ewes for another few months. 

“We actually had enough rain from mid April through to mid July that we had enough to stop feeding, so it’s been a fairly long break from hand feeding, but this will produce a lot of summer herbage,” Mr O’Keeffe said. 

“The plants that had been hanging on are going to grow really well.

“The autumn clovers have been carrying us through but this rain has been quite timely to keep that going.”

While the lighter country has bounced back, it’ll take a while for the paddocks with heavier soils to improve.

“Having been as dry for as long as it has, we’re not going to get a response from some of our country,” Mr O’Keeffe said.

Jock Dowling-Brown, “Bowra”, north of Carinda, thought he had missed out on the rain.

He had only received 5mm by Wednesday, but received another 59mm on Wednesday night. 

Mr Dowling-Brown runs about 1400 ewes on the property, which has not had cattle since early 2013. 

Last week’s rain was the highest rainfall for “Bowra” since March 2012. 

“It has been a decent start to get some summer grasses happening,” Mr Dowling-Brown said.

“If we can keep getting half an inch or an inch of follow up rain every now and then we’ll be on our way to good feed.”

The rain has allowed Mr Dowling-Brown to start thinking about summer forage crops.

“It just opens opportunities with stock if you can rest your paddocks or buy more stock in.”

Until now, the sheep have been on the failed barley crop.

“It was always a bit of a gamble, because it only had that foot of moisture the whole time and we just didn’t get enough rain, but it’s been handy to run the sheep.”

SOAKING rain of 90 millimetres fell at the perfect time for Come-By-Chance mixed farmers Bill and Bronie Colless.

The couple received 75mm at “Eurabah” last week and another 12.5mm on Sunday for the best rainfall event they’ve had in more than three years. 

“Hopefully it’s a start to set us up for planting a crop next year,” Mr Colless said.

“Without another significant rain event there wouldn’t be enough moisture to consider sowing a summer crop. 

“If we got another substantial rain event I’d consider planting, even if it wasn’t a grain crop. 

The latest rain will allow Mr Colless to bring home some of his 120 cows and calves which have been on agistment for more than two years.

He is running 1600 ewes, which he brought back to the property in September when they’d finished lambing.