Rains bring relief and hope to farmers in drought-stricken Victoria
After months of blue skies and dwindling dams, the weekend finally brought rain to drought-stricken areas of Victoria.
More than 25 millimetres of rain fell in many parts of the state, giving hope to rural communities.
Ben Pohlner's farm outside Warrnambool in the state's south-west received more than 40 millimetres since Friday.
With the rain turning dry soil to mud, he said the farm could get on with planting a long overdue strawberry crop.
"We've got to get 45,000 plants in the ground and that's going to be exciting for us," Mr Pohlner said.
At parched Edenhope in the state's west, Clayton Caldow has been hand feeding his flock for months.
Since Friday, 44 millimetres of rain has fallen at his property.
"Look, a month earlier would have been amazing, but it's going to really kick start a lot of pastures," he said.
Inland from Victoria's Surf Coast, at Mount Moriac, drought has forced beef farmers Eliza Holt and Jim McKenna to move their cattle to another property.
"For the first time ever we faced the reality in January this year that the dam had gone dry, and we just couldn't maintain the cattle here," Ms Holt said.
"So we had to completely destock, which was a huge thing to do."
Over the weekend they received more than 80 millimetres, topping up dry troughs and turning thirsty paddocks green.
"We spent yesterday staring out the window like idiots just grinning our heads off like it was Christmas," Mr McKenna said.
Mr McKenna said the stress and anxiety farmers have been feeling due to drought could not be underestimated.
"From here to the border, western Victoria is just going to sleep a lot better after that rain," he said.
While grateful for the rain, they say plenty more is needed.
"[The rain] won't bring an end to the drought as such, but it's fantastic to have rain and water in the dams," Ms Holt said.
"Let's hope for some sunshine and that the seed will actually grow that's been sown in many paddocks throughout Victoria in the past few weeks."
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is forecasting more rain this week, but drought-breaking rains could still be some time off.
"While this is very welcome rainfall and it's good to get some rain, many of these areas are hundreds of millimetres behind average and coming off the driest six, nine, 12 months in some places on record," BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said.
"So it's going to take a number of these systems to break the drought."
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