Rain Storms Spoil Farmers’ Hope of

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)

The record-breaking November rain has challenged some farmers who were looking forward to “the harvest of a lifetime.” In fact, despite near-ideal conditions during the growing season, rainfall and a shortage of workers in regional Australia have affected the harvest period for some farmers. This is particularly the case for some grain growers in New South Wales and parts of South Australia.

The situation is really disappointing as La Niña brings wetter than average conditions for much of the east coast of Australia. Farmers were just looking forward to what, for some, was going to be the harvest of a lifetime. The crops were just looking so good and the agricultural community was just really looking really forward to this harvest period. However, there are some positives. Nevertheless, some farmers managed to harvest their crops early and others have postponed their plans. There will be fewer mice problems in some areas.

Meteorologists also expected last month to be among the 10 wettest Novembers on record for NSW and South Australia. Numerous flood warnings were issued for rivers in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and in Northern Territory’s south. Large areas of mainland Australia experienced more than their average November rainfall. Overall, it is likely to be the wettest spring since 2016. Furthermore, farmers ebb and flow with the seasons, but this rain, for a large number of farmers, has come at the wrong time.