July rainfall welcome for most farmers

By Mollie Tracey
Updated July 21 2021 - 3:15pm, first published 9:00am
Boots the dog was enjoying the sunset while he inspected this barley paddock. Hugh Hudson, who took this photograph, farms mixed cropping and cattle with his parents at Kendenup and said since the excellent start to the season when they were seeding into moisture, it has being going quite well, although there have been a few issues. "Since seeding has being quite wet, now we're having issues with water logging and washouts," Mr Hudson said. "All the canola has filled out well and has begun flowering within the past (couple of weeks). The cereals have excellent establishment and only the later couple of paddocks (that were) seeded have been greatly impacted by the wet conditions. As of yet we are unable to get back on them to reseed." As at July 15, the farm had received 400 millimetres so far for the year, which has come in ebbs and flows. "For the first half of July we have had 67mm, which is a turnaround from last season where the first half of July we only received 4mm. Yesterday (July 14) we had 9mm and at beginning of the week another 10mm." Going forward, Mr Hudson hoped to have a couple of weeks of sunshine to help dry the farm and enable them to get back out into the paddocks. "What hasn't been affected by water logging has great yield potential," he said. "(This year is a) very different season to last year with a lot more water around the place and the dams are all full now, which is great to see especially from the stock point of view. This year has been unusual in the fact that we don't get this much rain so early on in the season." The family mostly grows canola, barley and oats (both for grain and hay), as well as running a Murray Grey herd of about 100 breeders on uncroppable areas.
Boots the dog was enjoying the sunset while he inspected this barley paddock. Hugh Hudson, who took this photograph, farms mixed cropping and cattle with his parents at Kendenup and said since the excellent start to the season when they were seeding into moisture, it has being going quite well, although there have been a few issues. "Since seeding has being quite wet, now we're having issues with water logging and washouts," Mr Hudson said. "All the canola has filled out well and has begun flowering within the past (couple of weeks). The cereals have excellent establishment and only the later couple of paddocks (that were) seeded have been greatly impacted by the wet conditions. As of yet we are unable to get back on them to reseed." As at July 15, the farm had received 400 millimetres so far for the year, which has come in ebbs and flows. "For the first half of July we have had 67mm, which is a turnaround from last season where the first half of July we only received 4mm. Yesterday (July 14) we had 9mm and at beginning of the week another 10mm." Going forward, Mr Hudson hoped to have a couple of weeks of sunshine to help dry the farm and enable them to get back out into the paddocks. "What hasn't been affected by water logging has great yield potential," he said. "(This year is a) very different season to last year with a lot more water around the place and the dams are all full now, which is great to see especially from the stock point of view. This year has been unusual in the fact that we don't get this much rain so early on in the season." The family mostly grows canola, barley and oats (both for grain and hay), as well as running a Murray Grey herd of about 100 breeders on uncroppable areas.

EARLY July rainfall might have caused issues for some farmers, such as waterlogging or with trafficability, but generally it was well received by growers across WA's agricultural region.

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