VICTORIA’S crops have endured or enjoyed a mixture of rain, hail, heat, wind and frost over the past week.
There is a significant amount of frost damage in crops from the eastern Wimmera across through the North Central and through into the state’s north-east.
At this stage, areas around Elmore and Colbinabbin, between Bendigo and Shepparton appear worst impacted.
Hot weather has bought in crops faster than expected in the Mallee and the hot winds have also knocked yield potential off crops in many areas.
There was also good news for the week. Much of the Wimmera had between 10-30mm and the Western District 25mm plus, which will be ideal in finishing crops in the Wimmera and boosting yields in the Western District.
VFF president Peter Tuohey said hot weather in his Pyramid Hill region had brought crops in faster than expected and may have knocked the top end off yield potential.
“We’re still sitting OK and we’ll probably still have average to above average crops.”
Yarrawonga farmer Adam Inchbold said frost last week had capped off a bad six weeks.
“The frost itself won’t be disastrous, it may knock around 5pc off yields, but we’ve had six weeks of no rain and some windy weather.
“Crops that did have the potential to do five tonnes a hectare are probably more like 3.5t/ha now.”
“It’s pretty disappointing given the seasonal forecast with a strong prediction of above average spring rainfall.”
However, he said given the late start and lack of subsoil moisture, 3.5t/ha averages would be a good result.
Landmark Donald branch manager Geoff Berry said falls of around 15mm in the area were well received following frost last Friday morning.
“There will be a little bit of damage to chickpeas and lentils because of the frost, but this rain may see them put out more pods, so long as we get some cool weather to follow.
The rain at Donald came down steadily as opposed to heavy downfalls at places like Horsham and Stawell, so will not cause any damage to crops.
Mr Berry said the frost was worse on the east side of Donald.
“To the west, it is not so bad, I’d say the hot days have damaged crops more there.”
He said he expected wheat averages of 3-4t/ha with barley around 4t/ha.
At Elmore, farmer Darren Trewick said local grain producers were assessing frost damage, which has mainly hit wheat.
“It seems to be very patchy, but there are some cases where paddocks of wheat have been wiped out.
“People are just deciding what to do now, certainly some people will be cutting crops for hay.
“The crops are at a perfect stage to be cut and will make good quality hay so it will still be a source of income.”
Mr Trewick said it was not a particular severe frost, only getting down to -1, but it had struck at exactly the wrong time.
“We didn’t think it was too bad until we looked.”
Landmark Elmore agronomist Greg Toomey said he expected widespread yield losses of 25-75pc in wheat and 15-30pc in canola as a result of the frost.
In the Western District, farmer Brent Herrmann said he had received 30mm at Glenthompson and more at his family’s block at Tarrington near Hamilton.
“It’s come at a really good time, the canola is just finishing flowering and wheat is flowering, so it will really help to move things along.
“We’ve been lucky, it didn’t get too wet for too long over winter, so we’re well set up for the year.”
“This rain was timed ideally after all of that wind.”
Although the rain was welcome, the storms that accompanied were not. What is being reported as a ‘mini-tornado’ hit Ararat and there were widespread reports of wild weather in the south-eastern Wimmera.