THE NEAR perfect start to the sowing season in Victoria continued with most of the state’s cropping belt receiving between 20 millimetres and 50 millimetres just over a fortnight after the opening break.
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The front was unusual in that it delivered the best falls in centres north and west of the Great Dividing Range.
Showers persisted across the Wimmera and at the weekend, meaning Horsham has now recorded more than 50mm in the past two weeks.
It is shaping up to be one of the wettest Mays in 10 years.
Rupanyup has been the wettest part of the region, with 84.4mm recorded for the month – double the long-term average for May, which is 42.2mm.
Apsley has received 78.2mm this month, Kanagulk has received 77.4mm, Drung has received 74mm, Edenhope has received 68.8 and Nhill has received 62.6mm
Warracknabeal farmer and Victorian Farmers Federation grains group president Ross Johns said it had been an excellent rain for grain growers.
“Of the state’s major cropping regions, only the Millewa, in the far north-west, missed out,” he said.
“Obviously, we rely on spring rain to get our crops home but this rain means all the crop will get out the ground – it is as good as it can be for now.”
However, high mouse numbers remain an issue, especially on the heavy black soils of the Wimmera Plains.
“There has been a lot of baiting going on, mainly in the Wimmera but also in parts of the Mallee,” Mr Johns said.
Mr Johns said the heavy rain meant farmers would also be able to get a better handle on slug and snail numbers.
“They will be easier to spot and farmers will be able to assess whether they need to bait or not,” he said.
Regarding swings in rotation, Mr Johns said there would be a move into higher value crops such as chickpeas, lentils and canola.
He said however, due to farmers’ fixed rotations the change would only be modest. “Most farmers will stick to their rotation rather than chasing high prices as they well know that high prices at sowing are no guarantee of high prices at harvest,” he said.