Anxious wait for breaking rain

AVictorian farming leader has described the region’s persistent dry autumn as an ‘agricultural game of nerves’.

Victorian Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the region’s broadacre farming community was waiting anxiously as well as patiently for a major break in the weather.

Mr Jochinke, who farms on the Kalkee plains at Murra Warra, said farmers could do little except prepare and hope for breaking rain.

“It’s a game of nerves in agriculture

at the moment. For the Wimmera-mallee, it’s getting close to crunch time,” he said.

“We need to get significant rain before soils start cooling down in the winter months so we can get some decent growth. But there is nothing anyone can do to make the situation any different and this is where the mental stress comes into play for farmers. It can be bloody tough.”

Widespread heavy rain before Anzac Day has long represented an anecdotal gauge for the potential of ‘bumper’ crops across the region.

But history suggests heavy rain in May is more the norm in providing a productive foundation for summer harvest.

Mr Jochinke said while the forecast outlook might appear bleak, a new Wimmera weather radar, due for completion in Rainbow by April next year, represented positive development to help deal with weather uncertainty.

He said while the radar obviously couldn’t help change the weather, it would help arm farmers in managing critical time, effort and money.

“We’re looking forward to getting the radar – not that it’s going to help it rain – but at least when and where it’s going to happen with a high degree of accuracy,” he said.

“It will mean farmers will be able to make more informed decisions, especially when spending represents a significant pressure point and with farmers not wanting to ‘overcook’ or ‘undercook’ anything, such as applying too much or too little urea.

“Finally getting some decent information about the weather will be one less thing we don’t have to guess about. For many it will ultimately be about improving a ‘forecast’, which will be beneficial.”

Mr Jochinke admitted that confidence across farming communities in the region was becoming a rare commodity as ground remained parched.

He fell short of agreeing conditions were as dry as they had been across the region in recent years, noting some areas had received isolated rain in the past couple of months.

“The window for us to realise some good potential is still open, but unfortunately few people are talking positively and all we can do is wait,” he said.

Many Wimmera and southern Mallee farmers are already busy dry-sowing crops.