South-eastern Australia has shivered through a cold June thus far with a number of centres recording their lowest maximums and minimums in over 20 years, but farmers have been pleased with light rain that has accompanied the cold fronts.
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According the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update there were falls over the week to June 19 of 5-50mm over key agricultural regions, including South Australia, central NSW, eastern and southern WA and western parts of Victoria.
In areas that received the rain ABARES expected this rainfall would boost soil moisture levels and allow for the germination and establishment of winter crops.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology's Water and the Land forecast service most of the nation's cropping regions are set to receive between 10mm and 25mm over the next eight days, with falls critical for those in southern areas where there has been sufficient rain to germinate crops but where further falls are required to maintain plant health.
Southern Queensland and northern NSW are only expected to see between 5-10mm, however there is the possibility of useful falls into Central Queensland.
While the light rain has been welcomed by the ag sector, it has been the cold conditions that have been more noteworthy.
From Queensland down to Tasmania there have been markedly below average temperatures.
Last Tuesday Rockhampton recorded a minimum of 0, while other areas in central and western Queensland also recorded temperatures around 10 degrees colder than the average.
Victoria has seen two particularly cold days, Friday June 14 and Thursday June 20, with Horsham recording its coldest June day in 27 years with a maximum temperature of just 8.1, some 40 per cent colder than the June average, and Nhill its coldest day in 22 years with 8.3.
The cold snap extended across the border with Keith recording its coldest day in 18 years with 8.9.
There have also been some cold starts, with Westmere, in Victoria's Western District, enduring -5.7 on Wednesday June 19, colder than some elevated and Alpine areas that morning.
Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
