‘Timely and lovely’ rain puts smiles on the faces of NSW farmers

Delighted New South Wales farmers say this week’s rain has come at the right time and fallen in the right place.

The favourable conditions coincide with a warning from agricultural economic forecaster ABARES that farm production across Australia is set to decline by about $20 billion.

The decrease is being driven by dry conditions and lower national and global prices of agricultural commodities.

But after 70 millimetres of rain fell in parts of NSW a sigh of relief could be heard from farmers whose outlook for crops and livestock suddenly markedly improved.

It is a big turnaround after a period of record temperatures and a lack of rain.

In mid-September the NSW Department of Primary Industry warned that crop production was likely to fall by 40 per cent.

‘It’s been fantastic’

For Morago farmer Mike Gatacre the weather has been close to perfect.

“It’s been fantastic rain, especially the way it’s fallen, because it’s come down vertically, not horizontally, and hasn’t damaged any of the crops,” he said.

Like many farmers in the state’s south, Mr Gatacre has had a couple of decent falls this year – including 69mm in June – come at just the right time.

“We haven’t had a lot of rain, but the rain we have had has been very useful,” he said.

“It’s going to mean that all the crops will fill and we’ll have good quality grain and a lot more revenue from that crop.

“The money will be spent in the district and it’s good for the whole Riverina community.”

Narrandera area farmer Justin Langley said dry conditions had damaged his crops, but 20mm of rain this week should turn things around and get him through to harvest.

“We’ve maybe lost a third of our yield or maybe more,” he said.

“But this rain now will ensure the rest of those heads will fill and we’ll get grain.”

Crops have also been struggling in the Central West and the rain will make a difference for Forbes farmer Geoff Green.

“We’ve had quite a long dry spell and you could see the crops going backwards [but] most of the crops will still respond from this — you know, the weights, the yields could be improved,” he said.

Further north, Narrabri agronomist Mitch Cuell said the rain would be a boost for farmers who had finished the winter harvest.

“It might help a few of the farmers that have already planted sorghum get some moisture back up around that seed and get that crop off to a start,” he said.

‘Timely and lovely’

Parkes farmer Neil Westcott said the 14mm that fell on his property on Wednesday was the first rain he had received in more than a month.

“It was a timely and lovely rain and should get most crops off … it’ll bring home an average to slightly below average crop,” he said.

“With the dry spring we’d had the yields were definitely going back, but this rain will certainly help maintain the crops.”

Only 100mm of rain had fallen on Mr Westcott’s property since May, but some wet years meant his crops survived.

“It’s not a lot of rain during a growing season, but the thing that has got us through this year has been the subsoil moisture from the past three years,” he said.

Parts of Far West NSW received about 20mm this week.

Broken Hill farmer Paul Martin said the rain would help move his crop along swiftly and bring the country back as well.

“I think the last rain we had was back in June, so this was a very welcome relief,” he said.

“We had an enormous amount of understorey at the moment, with a lot of new foliage on it, so this will really bring all that along, which is nice heading into summer.”

‘A smile on the face’

Sheep and cattle prices plummeted in recent months as conditions dried out and feed ran low.

Cattle producer Neil Watson got just enough rain to make a difference.

“Well we ended up with 15mm — that’s just enough to put a smile on the face,” he said.

The rain will give farmers a more time to hang onto their cattle before sending them to market.

Michael Shannon runs sheep and cattle on a property at Cathcart in the state’s south-east and says the wet weather is a welcome change after a rough six months.

“It’s literally like the tap had been turned off,” he said.

He had recorded just 19mm since June and said his neighbours’ records indicated it was the worst it had been in decades.

“The driest spell since 1971 — literally no rain,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say 30mm is a break by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a start.”