VICTORIAN Farmers Federation grains group vice president Peter Tuohey said areas from central Victoria and east had seen the biggest change since last year.
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“Where I am at Pyramid Hill, in the Northern Country, it’s a lot wetter than it has been in years, and I think that’s generally the case for all the cropping country from here east.”
Previously parched areas through the North Central, Northern Country and the flat areas of the north-east have already recorded rainfall above their yearly averages.
Echuca has had 87mm for August alone, up on a monthly average of 42mm and is tracking at 67mm above its average January-August rainfall.
Mr Tuohey said while it was difficult to perform practical work, such as spraying or spreading urea, crops were fantastic in his area and through most of the Mallee.
The far north-west of the state has largely missed out on the deluge, but he said crops in that Millewa region were still hanging on well.
The Wimmera region looks good, with some patches of waterlogging in its south-east on flat ground near Glenorchy and Stawell, while the high rainfall zone in the Western District is also sodden, after massive August rainfall tallies, especially in a big two-day event that delivered over 100mm in parts.
However, raised bed cropping has meant many farmers in that area will escape without massive yield penalties.
Mr Tuohey said with warmer days, the focus was turning to fungal diseases, with stripe rust spreading its way westwards.
Locusts are the other big concern, although he said most farmers appeared to have made locust control plans, should the potentially large hatchings eventuate.
