Weekend showers drop 15-90mm in much of WA’s grainbelt

Drenching rains reaching nearly every corner of the State’s grain growing areas have blessed WA farmers already buoyant after defying the odds and harvesting a whopping 15.1 million tonne crop. Australia’s biggest grain handler, the WA-based CBH Group, revealed last week that growers had delivered a 15.1 million tonne harvest for 2020/21 — smashing predictions of just eight million tonnes about six months ago. The total has been lauded as “extraordinary” considering many farming areas recorded below-average rainfall, and has been attributed to its timing, the lack of frost and a soft finish, coupled with ever improving crop and water management practices. While WA grain farmers aren’t expected to start seeding crops until April, the weekend’s showers are anticipated to get weeds up early and deliver critical subsoil moisture for the season ahead. In the early hours of Saturday, the skies opened and delivered between 15mm and more than 90mm in 24 hours at many farming areas from Gnowangerup to Moora, bolstering hopes of another good year. And farm kids across the State have celebrated accordingly, donning their rain jackets and gumboots for a celebratory splash among the puddles. Among those were siblings Archer, three, and Goldie Lee-Steere, two, whose parents Lincoln and Emma run a mixed cropping and sheep program — receiving 20mm — at Toodyay “We’re hoping it wasn’t enough to germinate too much clover, but enough to get a few weeds up,” Mr Lee-Steere said. “It wasn’t enough to get run-off into dams, but we’re fairly secure here with groundwater fortunately.” While areas that received more rain would be hoping for follow through, Mr Lee-Steere said he’d prefer it stayed dry until they got a “decent break” after their crop yields this season did not hit their potential. He hoped they’d see more rain than last year, with just 270mm falling in growing season. The biggest totals were recorded at Moora (92), Yanmah (88.8), Qualeup (72.8), Narrikup (54.6), Williams (52.2), Mingenew (52.2), Katanning (51.4), Harvey (49.8) and Eradu (46.6). Smaller — but welcome — offerings of 5- 15mm fell on areas including Ongerup (14.4), Mt Walker (12.4), Three Springs (12.4), Mukinbudin (8.8), Scaddan (8.4) and Condingup (6.8). Moora hay growers Lisa and Damien Marshall watched the radar in anticipation of Saturday’s downpour, their property receiving 64mm, followed by another 1.5mm on Sunday. “To see the Moore River running, that hasn’t been running for ages, it’s amazing,” she said. A whopping 72mm fell on Tash and Steve Berwick’s Eganu cropping property, with their son Jack, three, having great fun in the water. Mrs Berwick said they welcomed summer rain but hoped it wasn’t too long before the next showers. “We’ll be happy if this is what this year’s season is gonna be like,” she said. North Cadoux grain grower Shaun Kalajzic — who crops wheat, canola, lupins and barley with his fiancee and parents — welcomed the 28mm that fell across their five properties in the area. “It basically started at 4am on Saturday and went pretty much all day,” he said. “It’s fantastic, we love our summer rain,” he said. “It’s what saved us last season.” With another 15mm falling on the Tuesday before, it brought them up to 43mm over five days and Mr Kalajzic said they would start deep ripping at the end of the week once it had all soaked in. “Hopefully it’s the start of another good season,” he said.