Riverina farmers 'go mad' amid autumn sowing rush as rains kick off the 2023 season

After a relatively dry period for much of the Riverina in recent weeks, widespread rainfall soaking the region this week has prompted farmers to get their crops in the ground and get the season under way.

Agronomist and Maxwell district farmer Don Kirkpatrick said while some crops had already gone in around the region, "all hell [is about] to break loose" after the present rain event passes.

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"There will be seeders going everywhere, looking to set up dual-purpose wheat and canola crops," Mr Kirkpatrick said.

"Farmers will also be looking to set themselves up with winter feed.

"It will go mad."

Mr Kirkpatrick said the timing of the rain was "absolutely perfect."

"With the varieties [of crops] we have these days, you can start sowing these wheat and canola crops from early March," he said.

"So from a timing perspective ... this is just as good as it gets."

Mr Kirkpatrick said the grains market remains in a healthy place, coming into a fresh season.

"Cropping commodity prices continue to look good this year," he said.

"Input prices have come back a little bit and the cost of urea is right back, so, there is a little bit of an upside in input costs for farmers."

The Bureau of Meteorology recently predicted Wagga could experience its driest autumn in three years, but Mr Kirkpatrick is not convinced this will be an issue.

"While we've come out of a La Nina pattern, the indications at the moment are for neutral [conditions], which means we could possibly [still] expect average rainfall.

"And it's classic autumn weather to not get rain in Wagga for a few weeks."

Mr Kirkpatrick said, with the current forecast, "things are looking very promising for farmers to get stuck into the seeders and set themselves up for the year".

With the possibility of an El Nino event at the end of the season, he said this wouldn't necessarily mean a lack of rain.

"Looking back over the last 100-odd years at all the El Nino events experienced by the eastern states, most of the time, there has still been more than adequate rainfall," he said.

"Out of all the known El Nino years ... only a small percentage of them have really been ugly."

"So, just because it's El Nino, doesn't mean it's all doom and gloom. In fact, the data suggests farmers can get by for most El Nino years."

NSW Farmers Wagga representative Frank Galluzzo said farmers are "eternal optimists" as they seek to make the most of the current rain event and kick the season off to a great start.

"Farmers are coming off a lot of difficult circumstances with the recent heavy rains causing issues such as flash flooding," he said.

"Even though farmers are looking at a possible El Nino effect [this year], they are putting their crops in now and looking forward to hopefully another bumper season to provide food and fibre for the Australian citizens, and for exports to improve the nation's GDP.

"[They also remain positive] despite the fact they are facing record-high interest rates and increased prices of fertiliser, diesel and all imports."

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