Livestockers and croppers are looking to the skies for more rain, after a dry June.
Casterton livestocker Luke Balkin said rainfall had been below average, so far this winter.
“We haven’t had the rain to really dampen the paddocks - at the moment, there’s a bit of growth in the grass, but it hasn’t really come through,” Mr Balkin said.
“We got that really good season last year and the cattle pulled all the way right through.
“We didn’t have to feed over summer, because there was a lot of growth from last year.”
Seasonal conditions dictated the market at Friday’s Casterton store sale, according to Greg Bright Landmark’s Rick Smith.
“The frost has certainly dried things out in the past two to three weeks,” Mr Smith said. “Six weeks ago, it was really wet, everything was running.
“The last six weeks has been really great for the stock, but we’d certainly like to see an inch or two to keep the season going.”
A weak front, which passed through Victoria on the weekend, delivered between two and 10 mm of rain, to the south.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Chris Godfred said Victoria had been under the influence of a stable weather pattern, for some weeks.
“June is going to top out as a very dry month,” Mr Godfred said.
“We’ve had a big fat high, sitting over us, most of the month, and the few fronts coming through haven’t been able to penetrate much inland.
“The climate outlook was calling for a drier and warmer winter, and June has played out in that way so far.”
But Mr Godfred said a heavy frost was on the way, later this week.
“Our next front of any significance comes through on Monday evening, into Tuesday, coming off a low that spins off into the Great Australian Bight.
“But at this stage it doesn’t look like its going to draw any great tropical moisture from the north.”
Hoddle, Gippsland, beef producer, Paul Crock, said the area was experiencing “stellar conditions”, but rain was needed. “I don’t think anything is normal any more, we cut a whole heap of silage and hay but we haven’t fed much out at all,” Mr Crock said. He ran 160 head of Angus cattle, for the Gippsland Natural brand.
“I reckon we have had a few fronts come through – I would say, politely, we would be looking for some rain. It’s a bit of a ‘Goldilocks’ season, that means we are starting to get a bit uneasy – is it going to be a dry spring?
“What’s in store?
“But when you have feed halfway up your shin when it's nearly July, it’s pretty good.”