Heavy falls make Limestone Coast farmers happy again

Chris Manser  TBW Newsgroup
MONEY IN MUD: Mount Gambier Combined Agents chairman Chris Manser welcomed yesterday's pre-winter rainfall while attending the Mount Gambier and District Saleyards with cold and wetter conditions forecast in the coming days. Picture: MOLLY TAYLOR

Chris Manser TBW Newsgroup
MONEY IN MUD: Mount Gambier Combined Agents chairman Chris Manser welcomed yesterday’s pre-winter rainfall while attending the Mount Gambier and District Saleyards with cold and wetter conditions forecast in the coming days. Picture: MOLLY TAYLOR

THE saying “where there is muck there is brass” speaks true for Limestone Coast farmers this week who are expected to reap the benefits of the traditional pre-winter rainfall currently drenching their land.

Winter-like conditions hit the region yesterday, with Mount Gambier recording 15mm of rain and a top of 13C with lower temperatures and wetter conditions forecast over the coming days.

The Blue Lake city is expected to reach a top of 12C today, with the Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Bonnie Haselgrove predicting more heavy showers, thunderstorms, small hail fall and windy conditions would continue across the state into the weekend.

Among a restricted audience at yesterday’s Mount Gambier and District Saleyards weekly cattle and sheep sales, Mount Gambier Combined Agents chairman Chris Manser said the recent rainfall had come at the perfect time and brought a “sense of relief” to the Limestone Coast.

“We are fortunate here in the Mount Gambier region and we generally have our break around this time of the year,” he said.

“It is ideal as there is still warmth in the ground and the feed can grow, which sets us up for the winter time.

“It is always lovely to have rain around Anzac Day.”

Mr Manser said the wetter conditions in mid to late April gave confidence for a successful winter.

“It will give us some feed going into winter and because we had a good spring, plenty of people have cut hay so there is feed in storage for stock too,” he said.

“The rain we had in late January and early February germinated a lot of our land and surprisingly enough, grasses have stayed green.”

Reflecting on the pre-winter conditions of last year, Mr Manser said it appeared most producers and landowners were in a better position for 2020.

“Last year, we did not have our break until the around the second week of May and we did not have any summer rain,” he said.

“We did not really have much of a finish to the spring either and although it was tough, it was a lot tougher elsewhere.”

With earlier rain than expected, Mr Manser said people had already prepared and sprayed paddocks.

“Because we had earlier rain, it germinated paddocks earlier and some people have already sprayed or are just about to,” he said.

“Now this heavier rain has came and at the right time, people have started to sow pastures.

“Some grain would not be quite ready to put in, but in the next couple of weeks people will start looking into that as well.”

Mr Manser said there was “money in mud” and the recent break had boosted people’s spirits.

“We are also approaching lambing season and it is great to have ewes lambing on green pastures,” he said.

“I think farmers can expect a successful winter season which will have a flow-on effect for our stock.”