4thMay 2009
$1 billion dollar week for south-east wheatbelt.
THE full impact of last weekend’s Anzac rain has resulted this week in a burst of activity across virtually all of the wheatbelt in Victoria, SA and southern NSW.
It will be seen as ‘the $1m billion dollar week’, hopefully - that’s what such a good start for most croppers at just the right time will be worth, if they receive normal follow-up rains.
In Victoria, only parts of the northern and central Wimmera received less than 20 millimetres. (See map).
Most of the state received anywhere between 15-50mm, with heavier falls in the north-east and parts of the Western District.
Importantly, Victorian Mallee farmers, moving right into their core winter crop sowing window, received good falls.
Landmark Ouyen branch manager, Darren Old, said the Ouyen district in Victorian had received close to 30mm, which increased west along the Mallee track to 37.5mm at Underbool and about 50mm near the SA border at Murrayville.
To the east of Ouyen, Mr Old had heard of falls generally between 20 and 25mm.
There’s also quite a bit of country dry sown, often to a dual-purpose barley that could provide sheep feed through the autumn feed drought and then possibly be cut or harvested should the year turn out favourably.
Mr Old said most farmers were either planting or due to start by the end of this week, primarily with their core cereal crops.
In Victoria’s southern wheatbelt, Caramut farmer and contractor Jim Wisewould had 40mm, which he said would spark a lot of canola plantings over coming weeks.
The only area to miss out slightly was in the northern Wimmera.
Ian Glasgow, Robert Smith and Co CRT, Warracknabeal, said falls were between 15-20mm across much of the Wimmera Plains, with slightly more to the north-east through Wilkur and onto Birchip.
“We will get a start, but we won’t be going hell for leather - 60 points is just not enough for that,” he said.
“We’ll be sowing the cleaner paddocks and waiting for a germination and getting a knockdown on some of the others.”
At Derek Schoenís Corowa farm, he reported falls of up to 23mm.
“We had half the crop dry sown already, so the oats should start shooting by the end of the week,” Mr Schoen said.
“We are looking to get rid of fat stock now and buy store cattle - the grass will be growing and there will be some feed very soon.”
Mr Schoen said it was the best autumn rain he could remember in a long time, but said the follow-up rain was sorely needed.
Source: Stock & Land
