![Numbaa dairy farmer Alan Henry has received 425mm of rain so far in 2023, compared to 1815mm last year. Picture by Hayley Warden Numbaa dairy farmer Alan Henry has received 425mm of rain so far in 2023, compared to 1815mm last year. Picture by Hayley Warden](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37uSWs3eyNM24fqefKJaatC/b0b96b29-fb1b-4bd5-9615-2ea05c789216.jpg/r0_358_3270_2266_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
What a difference a year can make.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
Last year, farmers up and down the east coast were battling unprecedented wet back-to-back years - paddocks were bogged, and cows suffered severe health issues as a result.
Numbaa dairy farmer Alan Henry was dealt 1200 millimetres of rain in the first three months of 2022 - typically more than the region's total annual rainfall.
In stark contrast, this year, the story has been turned on its head.
Nowra has received 425mm of rain so far in 2023, as opposed to a massive 1815mm at the same time last year.
Mr Henry milks just over 400 cows on his Numbaa property near Nowra, where the pasture is Kikuyu based, with ryegrass drilled over the top.
He is currently feeding out corn and ryegrass silage.
Mr Henry was fortunate to plant corn this year and he "didn't get bogged once", which again is contrary to the 2022 autumn and winter, when he was unable to get crops off paddocks.
"The conditions have been totally tipped upside down," he said.
"Out west was not so bad last year compared to the coast.
"Unlike last year, we need rain now rather than wanting it to stop.
"Milk production is down compared to last year because we culled so many cows - we were between a rock and a hard place."
![Mr Henry has planted his entire Boorowa property down to a pasture of ryegrass, phalaris, cocksfoot, clover, lucerne and chicory. Picture by Hayley Warden Mr Henry has planted his entire Boorowa property down to a pasture of ryegrass, phalaris, cocksfoot, clover, lucerne and chicory. Picture by Hayley Warden](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37uSWs3eyNM24fqefKJaatC/78b808f0-4e94-4f7e-bf1c-22bb3ca8bef2.jpg/r681_0_3414_1649_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Severe southwesterly winds have done little to improve the situation.
Nowra recorded wind gusts in excess of 100 kilometres an hour last week.
"Our agronomist said with an inch of rain, we wouldn't know the place, but on Monday, we had six inches of wind, and we need seven inches of rain," Mr Henry said.
Mr Henry has moved away from cropping on his Boorowa property, instead deciding to plant the entire property down to a pasture of ryegrass, phalaris, cocksfoot, clover, lucerne and chicory.
"It was sown in mid-May, which is a bit later than usual," Mr Henry said.
"We had a period where it dried off, but now it's struggling because it is too cold and wet."
The Boorowa property has received 70 to 100 millimetres of rain since planting.
"It will be at least January before the cattle can graze on it to allow the roots to get down and establish," Mr Henry said.
On the Far South Coast, the Bega Valley has recorded only 260mm of rain this year, as opposed to the same time last year, when farmers had received 710mm.
Bega agronomist Tim Williams said the region was struggling with the rainfall deficit.
"On the lower South Coast, green feed is pretty limited unless you have irrigation," he said.
"It is pretty well non-existent on dryland farms, and even irrigation farms are struggling to get growth."
"Around Bodalla is a little better. Pasture growth there is quite good, but still only on one or possibly two feeds a day.
"Further up the coast in the Shoalhaven, there has been more rain.
"I've been on-farm the last month, and most farmers are operating on two feeds of pasture.
"But obviously, with the wind we've had, we need rain to keep it moving."
Mr Williams assists dairy farmers with their herds' nutritional needs by examining their feed inventories.
"I start by checking what feed they have, looking at herd profiles and matching that according to what we need and trying to buy some reasonable quality hay, which has been in limited supply the last two seasons," he said.
"We could take 150-200mm of rain now - no problem at all - we are very dry.
"We were on green grass this time last year."
Bega dairy farmer Tom Pearce said 25mm of rain would go a long way at this time of year.
Mr Pearce is feeding out an oat, vetch, lucerne blend and ryegrass silage to the little more than 200-head herd, which is increasing as the heifers start to calve.
"Some parts of the valley are drier than others," he said.
"We still have a bit of feed in front of us, we were lucky to jag some showers after we applied urea, and we got away with it.
"We have maybe another week of feed morning and night; then we will rely on irrigation."
Mr Pearce started sowing down ryegrass and oats on February 24 on the irrigated country and the dryland four weeks later.
"We had a delayed planting, and the last paddock was sown by mid-April," he said.
"We fed the cows for six to eight weeks until it was established.
"The cows have grazed the paddocks once and are on the second lap.
"The quantity is less, but there's enough."