![There has been excellent rainfall in WA over the past week. Source: BOM. There has been excellent rainfall in WA over the past week. Source: BOM.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/5Q2j7ezUfQBfUJsaqK3gfB/10c60691-7a45-4e3b-81fc-7abb78013cc3.jpg/r0_0_1068_654_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
National grain production estimates will have a higher baseline after a significant downpour across large swathes of previously parched Western Australia set up the winter crop.
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Croppers across the nation's major grain growing state reported their relief at the rain, which hit tallies as high as 120mm in the state's Mid West region north of Geraldton.
Further south falls were not as high but there were still widespread tallies of 25-50mm.
Only the normally reliable Esperance zone missed out, with more rain needed to establish crops in that port zone.
The rain comes after national crop analysts such as Rabobank came up with figures significantly lower than the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) on the back of concern about the dry start for the Western Australian crop.
Lloyd Cripps, Northampton, in the state's Mid West, said there had been 90mm locally which is more than double what had been received for the calendar year prior.
"It sets us up and puts us in the game, it had been very dry up until then, it is later than we would have liked but it will allow crops dry sown to germinate and for those with a bit more to put in to plant with confidence," he said.
"It's too early to be making statements on yields but it does give us a chance of getting something, which wasn't what we were thinking a couple of weeks ago."
"Now we just want to see it stay nice and wet through winter and give the crops a chance."
![The Mid West of WA, north of Geraldton, topped the charts in terms of rainfall through the WA cropping zone. Source: BOM. The Mid West of WA, north of Geraldton, topped the charts in terms of rainfall through the WA cropping zone. Source: BOM.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/5Q2j7ezUfQBfUJsaqK3gfB/fd9d3c55-c697-439e-9403-fe7967f1d709.png/r0_0_772_523_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Alastair Falconer, Coorow, in the Mid North, said things remained patchy but said crops were now emerging.
"We had some wheat that just germinated on light rain in early May, that has survived, which shows how tough a plant it is and crops planted after that are also pushing through," Mr Falconer said.
"It had been very dry, last week's rain was more than we'd had for the rest of the year."
"Things are still late and we're still behind rainfall-wise but this gives us a chance to catch up."
He said there had been a strong push into cereals at the expense of canola.
"The longer it stayed dry the more canola was dropped, there are even a few examples of dry sown canola that farmers are going to resow with wheat or barley."
"This rain has been so important, we're now a chance of average or even above average if things go right from here, although there is a long way to go."
Duncan Young, Beverley, in the southern wheatbelt, said there had been good falls of 40-60mm over much of his region.
"It is nice, we have to have a day or two off the seeder but we'll be back out into it quickly, it has really improved things out of sight," Mr Young said.
"We were lucky enough to have a little rain earlier so we're not set up too badly, although it might be a bit later than optimum."
"At a state level things have really picked up over the past month, you've got the Esperance and Lakes regions that are a bit dry but most other key regions have picked up some rain which has been great for the mood."
At Miling, in the Mid North, Tony White said rainfall had been lighter than in other parts of the state but still welcomed.
"We were so dry last year and for the start to this year we're still going to need a lot more, but it has been a start at least, now we're hoping the weather patterns have changed and we start to pick up more fronts," Mr White said.