WILD weather in the southern Mallee has caused the temporary closure of some of the region's gypsum mines.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
There were widespread falls of around 40mm around the pits near Rainbow and isolated tallies of up to 100mm.
With access to the pits generally including at least a component on unsealed roads the pit operators decided to shut down until road safety was back to optimal levels.
Both Brown's Gypsum and Albacutya Gypsum closed after the rain earlier in the week.
As of Wedneday night Brown's were unsure if they would reopen Friday or early next week while Albacutya confirmed it will be closed until next week.
The rain has come right at the peak of the gypsum carting season, which normally runs from late January until early April.
Gypsum is a critical soil ameliorant for those with heavier clay soils, such as in the Wimmera and North Central regions.
It has been hailed a critical part in the success of cropping systems in the region, especially for canola producers.
The northern Wimmera and southern Mallee is a rich source of the mineral and supplies much of western Victoria with its requirements.
The rain is unseasonable for the region, with late February / early March traditionally the driest part of the year, a fact acknowledged by the early Wimmera Machinery Field Days organisers in scheduling the event in the first week of March, which statistically had the lowest chance of rainfall.
However, while moderate rainfall is expected over the weekend it is not expected to cause further delays and the pits should reopen early next week.
For farmers in the region the heavy rain will provide a valuable bank of subsoil moisture for crops to access later in the year