General News
3 November, 2026
Farmers eye strong harvest after welcome rain
FARMERS across the Wimmera are looking ahead to a promising harvest, with grain crops performing exceptionally well following a prolonged drought. Horsham farmer Tim Rethus said recent rainfall had boosted grain crops, while above-average rainfall had delayed hay production.
“We have cut hay, but the hay has been rained on, so we are waiting for it to dry out,” he said.
“That’s taking some time with the wet weather, so we are not expecting great hay quality as a result.
“But that’s ok because the rain is really good for our grain crops, and the grain crops are looking excellent.”
Mr Rethus said the crops were producing “amazing results”, with harvest expected to commence in late November.
Despite the promising conditions, Mr Rethus said farmers remained cautious as the season approached its final stages.
“Farmers are still a bit nervous, though, as it’s getting closer to the end, but there are still things that can go wrong,” he added.
As harvest quickly approaches, farmers will begin preparing their paddocks for the demanding weeks ahead.
“Probably in the next few weeks people will start growing canola; they’ll start spraying down faba beans and probably even think about barley,” Mr Rethus said.
“It won’t be long.”
Although rainfall could delay some harvesting, Mr Rethus expects to harvest canola, barley and faba beans around their usual timing.
“It has been a wet year, and usually when it’s really wet, you expect your harvest to be delayed,” he said.
“I think the wheat will be a little bit later.
“But the canola, barley and beans will probably still run close to their typical timing.”
Mr Rethus added that the immediate priority was for conditions to dry out, allowing the crops to finish maturing and for farmers to resume haymaking.
“We just want some clear weather; there’s plenty of moisture there to finish everything off,” he said.
Farmers could soon face a demanding period as they juggle hay production with preparations for the approaching grain harvest.
Mr Rethus said rainfall had delayed hay baling, potentially causing the two seasonal activities to coincide.
“If the weather clears up, people will start trying to bale hay, and that’s going to be a really busy time for everybody,” he said.
“Hay is going to be a challenge because, at the moment, the hay has sort of hung on for a little bit longer and the rain has prevented us from getting our bales out, so that might start clashing with harvest.”
With promising crop prospects, Mr Rethus added that the season would require plenty of hard work from growers and those involved in transporting grain.
“It’s going to be a marathon this year,” he said.
“Because we’re gonna have a lot of grain to move.”
He urged motorists to be extra cautious around agricultural vehicles and transport trucks during the demanding harvest period.
“I would say give the trucks plenty of space on the roads this year,” he said.
Mr Rethus said farmers were encouraged by crop performance, particularly given the prolonged dry conditions experienced in the previous season.
“Incredibly good results for the year,” he said.
With harvest expected to begin in late November, growers will welcome fine weather to help crops reach their full potential.