BLESSING FROM THE SKIES
More rain still to come
GREENMOUNT dairy farmer Scott Priebbenow is cautiously optimistic the deluge over the past week could mean the weather is going “back to normal”.
Mr Priebbenow has received 130mm in the past week.
“It truly is a blessing,” Mr Priebbenow said.
While he’s not celebrating the end of the drought just yet, meteorologists are predicting the rain to continue this week.
THINGS are looking green for farmer Scott Priebbenow, who has received 260mm of rain since January, the same amount he received for all of 2019.
After destocking 140 head of dairy cattle in September last year to cope with the drought, Mr Priebbenow said he was cautiously optimistic after 130mm fell on his Greenmount property in the past week.
“It truly is a blessing,” Mr Priebbenow said.
“I’m not celebrating the drought being over, I’m not clicking my heels yet.
“If we got a follow up in six to eight weeks things would be getting back to normal.
“But I’m cautious to say the drought’s over.”
Mr Priebbenow planted 81 hectares of sorghum crops on Monday which he said was two inches out of the ground now.
Nobby farmer Josh Mengel received 75mm over the past week, which he said would provide some relief to the cattle side of the operation.
“It’s too late for any summer crop so we have to wait for a winter crop, but any rain is good rain,” Mr Mengel said.
“We’ve only got about 40 breeders left and about 30 young cattle for fattening.
“But we’ve got water in dams now and won’t have to be feeding every day, we’ve got some green pick now.”
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Peter Markworth said there was still potential for thunderstorms southeast Queensland including the Darling Downs over the next couple of days.
“It tends to be focused more towards the coast as we get to the end of the week,” Mr Markworth said.