Harvest resumes in the Wimmera

Banyena farmer Chris Drum said what was going to be a pleasurable harvest had turned into a painful one.

"The bulk of it is probably going to be worth a lot less than we originally thought," he said.

"We're harvesting lentils at the moment and they are still yielding not too bad, they would still be average or above but there will be a dockage for the quality because they will be all number twos."

Mr Drum said farmers would be busy this week getting crops off the ground.

"After last year, when we all got fried in November, I think we've all pretty much agreed it's not there until it is in the bank as they say," he said.

"Never count your chickens, but nothing is wrong with counting the eggs.

"We've just got to get on with it, get out there and get it off as quickly as possible."

Mr Drum said he thought he had a good week and a half of fine weather ahead.

"I pulled the header out twice on Sunday and the chaser bin out once," he said.

"I've got a tractor in the corner of the paddock ready to pull them out.

"I wouldn't say it is entertaining but it's quite different."

Glenlee farmer Nathan Albrecht said he would send samples of barley to silos early so he knew what the quality was like.

He said he had finished vetch and started on his barley crop on Monday.

"The vetch was flat on the ground but if we had one more lot of rain there wouldn't have been any chance at all," he said.

"At this stage the moisture is right on the limit."

Pullut farmer Ian McKenzie said he hoped to begin harvesting yesterday.

"I actually had a breakdown on my header last Tuesday and have been waiting on a part so I haven't had a go yet," he said.

"I've been talking to a couple of blokes who wanted to start yesterday but the moisture was still a bit too high."

Mr McKenzie said he didn't know what the quality would be like or his yield.

"I've got no idea, I haven't really looked at it," he said.

"I'll wait until I get the header on to it and wait and see what the quality is like then."

Rainbow farmer Don Fisher said he began harvesting on Monday.

"The moisture had been too high up until then," he said.

"It's a warmer day, I think it will probably come right."

Mr Fisher said his yield was okay, but he thought he might have some problems with quality.

"I hear that quality has been downgraded, but I'm just hoping my paddock is okay," he said.

Tarranyurk farmer Simon King also started harvesting wheat, barley, faba beans and chickpeas this week.

"I checked the moisture on Sunday and it was borderline," he said.

Mr King said quality was a concern heading into this year's harvest.

"I'm not as happy now as I was a couple of weeks ago, but we won't know what the quality is like until we get it tested."