'Optimistic' farmers hoping for good season after two dry years

Department of Primary Industries' research agronomist Graeme Sandral said there had been a "better than average" start to the traditional autumn sowing period.

"There's a significant amount of optimism in the farming community and it was badly needed after two years of drought," Mr Sandral said.

"You can make more money out of mud than you can out of dirt. It is a cautious optimism, but it's great to feel optimistic all the same.

"It's amazing how the farming community lifts its spirits when you have good moisture conditions, but it's all about how you finish and not how you start, so we're just going to have to keep a lid on it."

Mr Sandral said the good rainfall in 2020 had encouraged the region's farmers to sow more crops than they had in the drought conditions of the past two years.

As a result, he said, there has been an increased demand for knockdown herbicides and this had even led to "limited supplies" for some growers.

"Soil moisture conditions have been fantastic for sowing," Mr Sandral said.

"In the Wagga area, we have had significant rain in the last half of January and then in the first half of February. In the first week of March, we got significant rains, which have been topped up with more rain in the first week of April, where people got from 15mm to 40mm."

Mr Sandral said those conditions had allowed farmers to start sowing in late March and April and, in turn, to benefit from more rain at the end of April and early May.

"Probably in many areas, there's enough moisture to sow into next week without needing rainfall for crop emergence," he said.

"Because of the early rains - and significant rains - cropping programs were rapidly expanded in the north and south of southern NSW."

Temora mayor Rick Firman, who owns a retail clothing business, said he had noticed a growing sense of optimism in his customers and in the wider shire.

"It's just lovely to see. There is the hope of a really good season," Councillor Firman said.

"There is a spark around that I haven't seen in quite some time.

"Some of our farmers have said to me they can't remember a start to the season quite as good as this one."

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting wetter than average conditions for the next three month for most of southern Australia.

David Carter, a Junee shire councillor who farms at Illabo, said the rain had not been enough to break the drought, but it had still been welcome.

Councillor Carter said the rain had allowed farmers to plant crops that could be used to graze sheep, a welcome relief after long periods of hand-feeding stock.

"It has put a buoyant mood in the farming community," he said.