rain coming

[Howard]

Talk about 12 months of contrasts!
One year ago local (and most eastern-state farmers) were staring down the barrel of a 7th, 8th and in some cases 9th crop failure. Now you should see the place; It's like a different planet.
The cereal crops are the best I have seen them for a very, very long time. The dams are full to the brim & those that had the forsight (and cash) to enlarge their water storage while they were empty are now reaping the benefits.
Now we face a couple problems:
Those in low-lying & flat country are watching portions of their crops drown... (however I am yet to hear any complaints)
The crops need spraying in many cases, however the ground is too wet to get on it! Some are able to use aerial spraying contractors, but some can't find somewhere for them to safely land!
Another problem just around the corner is the grasshoppers. All & sundry are predicting a locust plague this spring. Hopefully all the crops are off & into storage before these little bastards turn up.
But, all in all, it is shaping up to be a bumper year. I'll post some photos this afternoon