WIMMERA farmers have welcomed a season-breaking month, with more than 100 millimetres being recorded in some areas for May.
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It comes as cropping continues throughout the region.
St Helen’s Plains farmer Keith Fischer had 22 millimetres of rain on Thursday last week.
The area received about 80mm for the month.
“It’s nice to have some moisture,” Mr Fischer said.
“It’s all looking good, we’ve sown vetch and barley, and just got cereals and pulses to go.”
Mr Fischer said at the start of May, many people were worried about the season ahead.
“People were a bit depressed because the Bureau of Meteorology kept forecasting rain that we weren't getting,” he said.
“Now we are getting more than what is being forecast.
“It’s also good with the El Nino breaking up and talks of a La Nina
“That’s giving people some confidence, but we will wait and see what the season brings.”
Mr Fischer said he hoped it would be an average year.
“That’s all we ask for,” he said.
Mr Fischer has about a week left of cropping
“At this rate I might not get going for another week,” he said.
“If we get more rain, it will keep us waiting a bit longer.”
Mr Fischer said while the early break was good, it would all depend on rain later in the year.
“Spring rain means everything,” he said.
Mr Fischer’s family has been official Bureau of Meteorology recorders since 1936.
Nhill farmer Andrew Colbert said he had about an inch of rain in the past week.
“May is shaping up to be one of our better years,” he said. “The ground is warm and it’s near ideal sowing conditions.
“Crops are coming up in a record short time.”
Mr Colbert said he hoped the favourable conditions continued throughout the season.
“For now though, I’m grateful for the start we’ve had,” he said.
Mr Colbert has sown wheat, barley, vetch and canola. “We have a couple of paddocks still to go,” he said.
Murra Warra farmer David Jochinke received 15 millimetres last week. “Hopefully there's more rain to come,” he said. "It's nice to see moisture around and it sounds like most areas got a little bit.”
The bureau has predicted above average rainfall for the next three months, with between 100mm and 200mm predicted for the Wimmera from June to August.
In May, Ararat received 113.2mm, Stawell received 110mm, Edenhope received 71.2mm, Warracknabeal received 65.5mm, Horsham received 60.4mm and Nhill received 41mm.
The May average for Horsham is 30.2mm.