Rain over Easter has put an end to the dry spell in the region, with growers hopefully catching up on some well-earned rest over the last two months. A wet start to the summer meant for most farmers, they went straight from the header to the sprayer after harvest, trying to conserve as much sub-soil moisture as possible. Growers that were proactive got onto paddocks early, whilst for others it may be a missed opportunity.

For most, seeding has begun, with growers making a start on early sown fodder, vetch hay, oaten hay and canola. Crops sown before, or promptly after the rain, have already germinated. Others are still awaiting further rainfall as the moisture in the soil surface has dried out rapidly following a dry February-March. Most areas had in the vicinity of 20mm total across the two rain events, enough to get a germination of weeds on the lighter country but not on the heavier flats.

Well-managed pastures are firing, with clovers rapidly approaching 3 trifoliate. They will soon receive an early broadleaf spray before being stocked, with most farmers scheduling their ewes to lamb down in May. Some pastures were knocked around following the week of hot weather in early March, however where growers have kept the water up to them, they have soon recovered. Cheap water prices have presented a great opportunity to establish pastures, with the best paddocks in the district on their third watering already.

Rice harvest is well underway with strong yields, despite a challenging season. Many farmers say the start to this season is one of the worst on record with ducks, coots, snails, wind and cold weather causing many sleepless nights. Quality has been variable due to hot weather during grain fill and the wetting and drying of grain caused by the Easter rainfall. However, for later maturing crops with good moisture, quality has been quite high.

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Elders Ltd. published this content on 19 April 2024 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 19 April 2024 03:31:02 UTC.