The region’s farmers are hoping for a good autumn break with decent rainfall following a year of well below average rain.

An analysis of 2024 rainfall data from almost 200 Bureau of Meteorology weather stations right across Australia show that  Ballarat was Victoria’s  driest centre for the past year, having received 442mm – or equivalent to just 64 percent of its annual average.

The BOM’s data analysis shows that the next driest centre for the past year was Stawell (339mm or 72 percent of its annual average) and then Horsham (266 or 73 percent of its annual average).

Local farmers like John Drife, whose family has been farming for many generations at Glendaruel, just south west of Clunes, says last year’s lower than average rainfall significantly impacted the amount of hay that was cut and baled on his property.

However, it was a mixed bag with some good outcomes with his grain crops of canola and wheat – both of which served to compensate John, and quite a few of the region’s farmers, for the lower-than-average hay yield.

“We were short on rainfall right through spring so our hay paddocks  produced about a quarter to a third of what they should produce – about two rolls to the acre when it should have been about six to the acre,” John says.

With his down-on-average hay yield now shedded, John’s been busy in recent days getting the last of his large round straw bales, made from the season’s wheat  stalks (remaining after the wheat grain has been harvested from them), out of the paddocks.

“It’s been a pretty evaporative summer so far,” he says.

“We’re feeding stock at the moment every day and we don’t normally start until February.

“We are looking for a good autumn break (with rainfall) in early April.”

Clunes farmer Malcolm Hull says the availability of on-farm water is  now becoming a real issue especially for local farmers who rely solely on  dams.  

“The dams are very low now. Water is the issue.”  

Malcolm says his barley crop of 2024 was saved “by the skin of the  teeth” by rainfall that arrived in late October-early November.  

“I’ve kept some grain back still sitting in the silo knowing we will more  than likely need this before the autumn break,” he says.  

“The stock are nibbling their way through hay very quickly and I suspect  we will have to buy some in. We didn’t have such a great spring and now with this hot dry summer the stock are cleaning the paddocks out.”  

A little to the east, Ullina farmer Tim Barry is planning to start dry sowing up to 900 acres of grain crops once again, from April.

“There is no real subsoil moisture at the moment so we will need good  autumn rain to get up and growing,” Tim says.  

“We will dry sow starting about April 14 with canola, and then we’ll sow  wheat in early May. We’ll also be looking at sowing some oats as well which  are milled locally at UniGrain at Smeaton.  

“Last year the last rain was the difference between a terrible year and a reasonable one. Our cereal hay was still quite good but grass hay was nearly non-existent.”  

Words” Eve Lamb  

Just the right amount of rainfall is the vital ingredient for which the region’s canola growers are hoping.    

Farmers Jodie and Tim Barry of Ullina said rain would make all the difference between prices for the eye-catching crop which has transformed a notable slice of the region’s landscape with bright swathes of gold.    

The farmers are among an increasing number of producers who have been turning to the crop in recent times.

They currently have 260 acres planted out to canola and their crop was in the process of podding up when they talked to The Local last week.

“We are in desperate need of rain and if we could manage an inch it would be good. The critical time is now,” Tim said.

“Without it a lot of crops could end up not finishing and might even have to be cut for hay.    

“We’d expect 3.2 tonnes to the hectare but without rain we might be looking at two tonnes to the hectare, and at $700 a tonne it’s a big difference.”    

Jodie and Tim are among growers who are feeling for the plight of those located further to the west and north where farmers have been contending with alarmingly dry conditions and also highly destructive frosts.    

“We’re in a really good spot here and I feel sorry for the people up north,” Jodie said.

“The (seed) pods are already forming now and we’ll be looking at harvesting in November or December. Depending on the quality it will end up either for human consumption, being used for things like cooking oils, or for animal feed.”    

The Barrys have been growing canola for the past four years and so far have done well enough to keep investing in it.

“There definitely does seem to be a lot more farmers around here getting into it. But with canola it’s hit and miss,” Jodie says.    

“I do love the colour, how beautiful it is and how it changes the landscape.”    

Tim and Jodie’s neighbour, Jock Leishman, has 400 acres planted out to canola and agrees that timely rain now will make all the difference.    

“We potentially have the best canola crop in now that we’ve had for 10 years,” Jock said.

“But we need to keep getting some reasonable rain and given that we now don’t have much sub-soil moisture we ideally need to be getting about 20 mm every fortnight for the next month.”

Words: Eve Lamb