AS RAIN fell across the region over the past week, South East graziers and farmers were breathing a sigh of relief following a particularly dry start to autumn.
Only 10 days into the month of May, more than 50mm of rain has already been recorded across the South East, giving farmers much needed water for seed growth.
Standing at his Kongorong property yesterday, farmer Barry Kuhl said farmers were happy to see the heavens open over the last week.
“We were fortunate with a good year last year and we had a lot of hay left over, meaning there was plenty of feed,” Mr Kuhl said.
“That made the late break in rain not too much of a problem, however everyone is relieved that it has finally come.”
Mr Kuhl said some warmer weather was now on the wish-list with winter fast approaching.
“Now we need it to get a touch warmer – some weather in the high teens and low twenties would be ideal,” Mr Kuhl said.
“A bit of ground warmth is ideal to allow the seed to grow.”
Following a dry summer and limited rainfall in March and April, Mr Kuhl said the conditions were not unusual, but the rain was certainly welcomed.
“Early breaks of rain are what we want and we have been quite spoilt with that in the last couple of years,” Mr Kuhl said.
“This year we haven’t had the same luck, but we are used to these conditions and we have had a lot worse years than this.”
While Mr Kuhl is hopeful temperatures can now remain favourable, he said farmers are prepared for icy winds and frost throughout the colder months.
“We know it could be a long tough winter, but it is all about getting through that until spring,” he said.
“It is quite crucial for us to have some rain around the start of spring in September – last year we had a great spring and it sets up a bumper season.”
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said there was a drier than usual outlook for some parts of Western Victoria and South East South Australia over the next few months.
“Our outlook suggests Mount Gambier has around a 50pc chance of exceeding the median rainfall of approximately 270mm for the May to July months,” a BOM spokesperson said.
“As you move higher up the state towards the Upper South East, that chance of reaching median rainfall reduces even further.”
When it comes to warmer weather, the BOM suggested Mr Kuhl may get his wish, with temperatures expected to rise above the median over the next few months.
