AN EARLY autumn break has made Wimmera farmers optimistic about the season ahead.
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But with cropping now in full swing across the region, other growers largely missed out on rain at the weekend and will continue to dry sow.
Banyena farmer Chris Drum received between 20 and 30 millimetres of rain at the weekend.
“It was fantastic,” he said.
“Everything will well and truly germinate now – even the crops we are sowing at the moment will germinate.
“It makes us hugely optimistic about what is too come and I would say most farmers in the region are pretty happy.”
Mr Drum said he was about halfway through sowing.
“We’ve got canola, wheat, beans, vetch and lentils in the ground and we are about to start barley,” he said.
Beulah farmer Ross Williams started sowing wheat earlier this week.
“We got a little bit of rain, about 12 to 20 millimetres,” he said.
“We have just started sowing and we will see how it goes.”
Mr Williams said he hoped more rain was on the way.
“We need a lot more – the ground is so dry at the moment,” he said.
Vectis farmer Vaughn Maroske started sowing about two weeks ago and was busy with vetch this week.
“We had about 11 millimetres of rain, which was good, but a bit more would be great,” he said.
Murra Warra farmer and Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president David Jochinke said he had sown oaten hay, beans and barley.
He only received 3.5 millimetres at the weekend
"It's still very dry so we're making a lot of dust at the moment,” he said.
"We'll continue dry sowing until we get a decent break.
“We missed out largely on the rain, but I am saving it up for spring.
“The weekend is looking promising for more rain, so hopefully I bag a good one then.”
Mr Jochinke said he was about a quarter of the way through sowing.
Taylors Lake farmer Ken Croser said he received between 5mm and 8mm at the weekend.
“Sowing is going along alright but I would like to see some more rain,” he said.
“Hopefully we get another shower this week and the wind doesn’t blow it away.”
Mr Croser is sowing wheat, barley, canola, vetch and lentils this year.
“We are putting in a bit of everything, it’s a mixed bag really,” he said.
Rupanyup farmer Andrew Weidemann said he received 11mm at the weekend.
“It’s not what you would call a break and it’s all pretty much dried up now though,” he said.
“Hopefully we get some more this weekend and by this time next week we are talking about he inch of rain we had.”
Mr Weidemann has sown vetch and barley and was now sowing beans.
“It’s going pretty well so far,” he said.
Agriculture Victoria Horsham farm supervisor Darryl Blair said farmers were dry sowing in many areas of the Wimmera.
“However there is not the frenetic activity of previous years,” he said.
“Farmers seem to be understandably more cautious with their spending on inputs.
“They will continue to be cautious until there is a break in the weather and there is more promise for the upcoming season.”
Kanagulk farmer Nic Pekin said he had received 21mm over the past week, with some reports of around 30mm in the area.
He said the rain would be ideal for crop already sown, while it has not been heavy enough to slow down the planting program.
“It will be nice if we can get further follow-up over the weekend while the soil is still warm and the crop can get itself established,” he said.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said the Wimmera could be in for some rain on Sunday.
“Overall the next few days will be fine but there is a cold front coming through on Sunday,” he said.
“It does look fairly significant and we could get about five to 10 millimetres.”