Farmers in Victoria are harvesting their crops for hay as drought conditions persist across southeastern Australia. This spring has been exceptionally dry, contradicting earlier weather forecasts that predicted warm and wet conditions. The lack of rainfall has diminished prospects for good grain yields, prompting many farmers to cut their losses and turn to hay production.

In the Victorian Mallee, the situation is dire. Mick Foott has already harvested 350 hectares of barley and wheat, closely monitoring the remaining crops. "They’re hitting the wall big time," Foott stated. He noted that the barley was not developing properly and would not yield a viable harvest. "At least if we cut it for hay, we'll get something," he added. Foott expressed frustration with the weather forecasts, saying, "The Bureau has said that a lot lately and they’ve buggered this one up again."

Further north in Hopetoun, grain grower Pat Hallam reported that his crops are "hanging in there," but he is not optimistic about yields. "September was pretty dry and October’s given us nothing," Hallam said. He does not plan to cut his crops for hay, explaining, "We’re not geared up for hay and I can’t imagine the hay yields would be very high anyway. We’ll just run it out to grain and cross our fingers and hope there’s a bit there."

In far north-west Victoria, Ron Hards described the year as challenging due to dry conditions. "It's been patchy. Very light rain. I think we're up to about 80 or 90 millimetres for the year," he said, noting that the highest single rainfall event was only 12 millimetres. Ian Arney, another grain grower in the same region, echoed Hards' sentiments. "We didn’t really get any decent opening rain until June," he said, adding that their largest rain event has been 11 millimetres, totaling about 104 millimetres for the year. Arney believes that just one significant rain event in spring could have changed the season's outlook. "Another 20 millimetres would’ve made a massive difference," he remarked.

The situation is particularly severe around Lake Bolac in south-west Victoria, where rainfall has reached only half of the long-term average for the season. Agronomist and rural supplies store manager Cam Conboy stated that the region has received about 220 millimetres this growing season, compared to the usual 400 millimetres. "We’re really on a knife edge of which way the season can go," he said. Conboy noted that if the area receives 25 to 50 millimetres of rain in the next few weeks, it could lead to average yields. However, without that rain, farmers may face tough decisions regarding their crops. He mentioned that many clients are considering cutting crops for hay, especially those with some bulk.

As the drought continues, Victorian farmers are left to navigate uncertain conditions, weighing their options as they strive to salvage their harvests.