East Gippsland received welcome rainfall overnight on Tuesday, though it was only enough to bring a slight smile to farmers’ faces.
While farmers welcomed the falls recorded across most of the region, they say more is desperately needed.
Bairnsdale received the most rain, with the Bureau of Meteorology recording an average of 24 millimetres in the area.
Elders livestock manager for Bairnsdale, Morgan Davies, said while welcome, “we need a lot more to keep coming”.
“It’s not drought breaking by any means,” Mr Davies said.
“It’s been an horrific 18 months for farmers, absolutely terrible. Massive amounts have been spent on feeding cattle.”
Mr Davies said Lindenow had only received about 11mm of rainfall.
“It’s a bit different everywhere you go,” he said.
Further east, Combienbar recorded 20mm and Omeo 19mm while Swifts Creek and Gelantipy each received about 15mm of rain.
Barry Newcomen, who runs commercial and stud Hereford cattle on his 3000-acre property, at Ensay, said he received 17mm in his gauge.
Mr Newcomen said light rain had started falling on Tuesday afternoon and turned into “steady” rain overnight into Wednesday morning.
“It’s still trying to rain now,” Mr Newcomen told the Advertiser on Wednesday morning.
“It’s all helping, we’re green now and looking better than we were.
“We still need heaps more but a little bit will help, at least we’re on the way,” Mr Newcomen said enthusiastically.
Remaining optimistic, Mr Newcomen said “more is scheduled for Monday, so they say”.
One of the driest regions in East Gippsland has been Orbost. The area received around 13mm of rain with Jarrahmond farmer, Dennis Reynolds, recording 15mm in his rain gauge.
“Every bit of rain helps. It keeps things ticking over for another fortnight,” Mr Reynolds said.
“We definitely need to have follow-up though or we’re still in trouble.”
Mr Reynolds is running 180 dairy cows on 300 acres of pasture. He was forced to cut back his herd numbers a few months ago. Dargo received the smallest amount of rain in the region.
Owen Waller said 10mm had fallen on his 1000 acre beef property.
“We’re all struggling,” Mr Waller told the Advertiser, “but it will keep us alive for a week.”
“We’re still hanging in there and we’re supposed to get more rain next week, so let’s hope so.
“Some places are worse than us.”
Chief executive officer of Gippsland Farmer Relief, Melissa Ferguson, said the rain would give farmers “a glimmer of hope”.
“Every time it rains, it provides a glimmer of hope, but if there’s no follow-up rainfall it can be quite distressing when you’re already hanging on to hope,” she said.
Ms Ferguson said she was concerned that farmers were in “a suspended state of hope”.
“They’re waiting for follow up rain and they’re waiting for some hay.”
Ms Ferguson says, “as a community, farmers need to be kept informed of relief efforts,” otherwise they’re left wondering.
“It’s important all relief workers let farmers know what they’re receiving and when,” she said.
The Victorian Farmers Federation has called on the State Government to expand drought relief arrangements to further assist farmers confronted with worsening conditions.
PICTURED: Farmers and stock gained a touch of relief from rains earlier this week.
