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ABC News
6 hours ago
- Climate
- ABC News
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."
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Farmers in crisis as drought makes once-reliable crops impossible to sell: 'It's practically inedible'
A severe drought is pushing one farmer in Victoria, Australia, to bury a certain green vegetable. Ben Pohlner of Volcano Produce in Illowa told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that his water-stressed broccoli is too acrid to eat. "We still get the nice broccoli or cauliflower head on them, but it's practically inedible. It's too bitter to eat," he said. "We just plow it back into the ground. We can't afford to ruin our reputation over a few crops." The chemical-free farm has not been able to sell the brassica since September. Every two weeks, 10,000 to 20,000 new broccoli plants spring up. Pohlner is losing AU$40,000 to AU$50,000 per crop. The organic farm is taking the unfortunate hit on the broccoli because it features 70 fruits and vegetables and relies on strawberries — one of the crops that has done well with carrots, beetroots, garlic, chillies, and eggplants. "Normally with the brassicas we have plenty of moisture deep down in the soil, but this year we had a really dry winter," Pohlner told the ABC, noting they needed 100 milliliters of rain just to get those crops established. "We've had to irrigate all the way through, which is hard for us because we don't have sufficient [access to water for] a large volume of plants." Other small farms are experiencing the same problem. Solutions include rationing water and not planting. A potato planter in Newlyn, Kain Richardson, said the district had lost AU$2 million to AU$3 million because of the drought. Sometimes, such issues cause produce supplies to drop and prices to rise, but the ABC reported that large-scale suppliers equipped with better irrigation infrastructure were getting through the drought and that the outlook for potatoes was good, too. Because increasingly frequent and severe droughts are the result of rising global temperatures caused primarily by the burning of dirty energy sources, we can all help mitigate the issue by turning to clean sources of energy such as solar and wind. Take public transportation, for example, or upgrade to electric appliances. It's also important to get the most out of the resources that go into growing crops. Check out this TCD guide to shop smarter at the grocery store, keep your food fresh longer, and do more with leftovers. All these steps will help you save money, too. What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time Not enough space It seems too hard I have a garden already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
