Changeable April weather, that was wet and wild in some WA regions and dry in others, have set farmers on course for a productive growing season.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) say that while rainfall across the state was 38 per cent below average, several regions, including the South-West, had their wettest April in 20 years.
Agricultural service provider Elders Cranbrook spokeswoman Ella Bird said that some South-West farmers had found the early rains created a better start to the season.
“[The extra rain is] absolutely fantastic, it means that we’ve been able to get our crops into the grounds earlier, we have ample feed for livestock, and the pastures continuing to grow.”
“Some of our local producers have reported that compared to last year… we’ve got the same amount of rain that we did in to August [2020] … so we’re sitting in a really fantastic spot,” Ms Bird said.
WA Farmers Federation president John Hassell said that the drier Eastern parts of WA could still produce a good harvest with steady rain in May.
“Though it might have been a dry April [in some parts of WA], it is not necessarily detrimental, and the important part is that we get rain at the end of the season,” Mr Hassell said.
The farmers will still, however, require steady rain to keep their crops and pastures growing over the next few months.
“We don’t want to have the break of the season in March or April and then not have any rain until July, because it…can lead the pasture or the crops to die,” Ms Bird said.
Ultimately, whether they want rain or clear skies, all WA farmers will have their fingers crossed for a better harvest this year.