Experts warn the next few weeks are crucial for farmers in the South East following a green drought earlier this season caused by heavy frost, low rainfall and unseasonably warm weather.


Local farmers are also dealing with the skyrocketing costs of fertiliser, chemicals, insurance and council rates and higher prices for hay combined with no financial return from their harvests.


The Limestone Coast had its inaugural delivery from Need for Feed Australia who delivered over 1000 hay bales for free to farmers last month following the latest break to the season in recent history.


Castec Rural Supplies Penola agronomist Isabella Baker said while the season has definitely taken a turn for the better, farmers are not in the clear yet.


“There is more positivity between chats, which is really nice to see and crop yields are looking up and should reach more than above average yields if moisture persists,” she said.


“The last five weeks we have seen a major change in the season, crops have a very healthy colour about them again, however that is not without the high inputs of fertiliser and increased uses of foliar fertiliser trace sprays, to give each crop the best chance possible.


“The season has improved beyond words, but the next six weeks are very crucial for moisture.


“We need to hold onto that moisture for pod filling and head filling in the cereals and the overall finishing of crops.”


Ms Baker described this year as “an El Niño year across the whole region”.


“The season began poorly, with no moisture and very cold weather which meant most were unable to achieve an effective pre-sowing knockdown, creating another challenge of late weed germinations in crop, leading to some very grassy paddocks,” she said.


“I am hoping to not see any substantial frosts in the next couple of weeks, to avoid any damage to dropping flowers particularly on the beans and cereals beginning to fill.


“As the beans have been rather delayed, with some not germinating for 5-6 weeks post planting, and therefore some are still flowering and only beginning pod set.


“In an ideal world farmers would require 10-15mm top ups each week consistently to bring us through to a good season finish. Realistically a good couple of inches.


“It is crucial that moisture is retained within the subsoil because there is currently minimal subsoil moisture, hence the immediate urgency for upcoming rains, hopefully today we see at least 20mm as forecast.


“Confidence has been somewhat regained, but growers are still wary because this next six weeks can either be the be all or end all.


“If they get a good finish to the season, it will set them up for next year.”


Ms Baker said rising costs amid pressures caused by the green drought had caused farmers to be extra cautious around excess inputs.


“Farmers had to be a bit more wary and strict on what their budgets were and what things were forecast to cost over the entirety of the season and not only a few months ahead because there has been an inflation in costs this year, whether it was fertiliser, chemicals, drench, vaccines or even seed, everything has that added inflation cost,” she said.


“There were a lot of mineral supplement powders being fed to livestock, to keep the nutrient uptake to them, when hay qualities were lacking in adequate proteins and sugar contents.”


Ms Baker said she has never seen so much hay trucked into the region primarily from the north of the state in the Murray Mallee region and into Victoria.


“It was all coming from the north which was odd because it is normally the north relies on down here but it was bit of a switch around so there was a lot of feed being brought in,” she said.


“It has been a bloody tough year and the resilience our local farmers show is second to none, it would be nice to see no further setbacks, above average yields, an increase in grain prices and a good season return to put some money back in the bank.”


Meanwhile, Mount Gambier Combined Agents chair Chris Manser said livestock prices are higher than at the same time last year.


“Cattle prices are going pretty well. Compared to this time last year the stock market is looking very, very good,” he said.


“We have just started to sell a few bullocks in the market and those heavier weight bullocks at sort of 650 -750kg are making around $3.80 – $3.90kg which is quite good.


“They’re most probably a dollar a kilogram better than what they were this time last year.


“The best of our cows are sort of in that $3 – $3.20kg.


“We had a store market on Friday and we have got a lot of those 400 plus kg steers that have been making the sort of $1300 – $1700, those lighter steers at around $1000 – $1200 and then you have got the smaller sort of blokes in that sort of $800 – 900 bracket.


“Lambs this time last year were most likely making $5.50kg dress weight and at the moment you can get around that $8kg dress weight.


“There was a mass sell off last year and it was an oversupply and that certainly did not help the market at all and it was … based a little bit on fear because of what was being predicted.”