It remains a dry argument for broadacre on the south eastern coast.
Summer was the driest on record for Cascade grower Greg Curnow and autumn has failed to deliver any rain of merit as yet.
"It has been unseasonably dry since August last year and the driest I have seen the subsoil in my 30 years of farming," Mr Curnow said.
"We haven't had any double-digit rainfall since August 2023.
"Water is becoming a big issue and guys with sheep are really struggling."
Mr Curnow started sowing his 1100-hectare canola program last week using 4520P RoundupReady and planned to switch to Maximus barley this week on a low rainfall block.
Total crop plantings for 2024 are expected to be about 4800ha, which also includes 1700ha of barley and 2000ha of Calibre and Brumby wheat.
Mr Curnow is using an 18-metre Bourgault air drill with 25 centimetre spacings, towed by a CLAAS Xerion tractor.
Canola is being sown at a depth of about 15 millimetres and barley at 30mm.
No rain is forecast for several weeks, however Mr Curnow plans to keep "chipping away" at the program.
He said he would plant more canola if and when it looked like rain.
"It would just be nice to have a good shower of rain about now," Mr Curnow said.
He said last year's start to the season had been awesome, but then the autumn was dry and it was just an average winter before a decile one spring.
"We were set up for a good year, but it did not eventuate because it didn't rain at the end," Mr Curnow said.
"We got crop yields close to the 10-year average, but they were a long way below budget."
