Mr Sparke said the rain had improved soil moisture and provided a confidence-boost for growers as most finished their programs and early crops began to emerge.
“We’ve got some early oats and forage crops up, and they’re looking pretty good. Vetch is generally looking pretty good,” he said.
“Summer was a little bit hit and miss for people – some guys got some really good rain over summer, some got a reasonable amount, some got some average rain.
“Some guys are probably looking at nearly a full profile while others are maybe looking at maybe half a profile.
“But it’s still good for this time of the year after such a hot, dry summer leading into the beginning of March when it rained.”
Mr Sparke said more rain in late May or early June would be good news for farmers.
“Hopefully we get another rain late in the month, which would make it a glorious month, or early in the new month,” he said.
Mr Sparke said challenges remained for growers, with glyphosate-resistant ryegrass reported across Victoria’s winter cropping region.
“That’s been a major concern. There’s been a lot of paraquat used this autumn to get that ryegrass under control,” he said.
Overall, Mr Sparke said he was ‘hearing a little bit more optimism’ following recent uncertainty due to high nitrogen-fertiliser prices.
“You can’t not be optimistic with a nice break and the beautiful weather we’ve had,” he said.
“The days have been glorious – it’s nearly April temperatures in May, so crops are jumping away.
“Now for growers it’s about getting the crop in and then getting back and monitoring their crops for pests and grass weeds, obviously ryegrass being our major issue.
“It’s just getting a strategy around what they need going forward.”
The entire May 27, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire May 27, 2026 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!
