LIKE many local cattle producers, Killawarra farmer Emma Iddison was happy to finally see some rainfall last week amid challenging times.

Some 50mm fell on her Windswept Holdings property, and while it has helped replenish dams, the impact of drought conditions is still being felt.

Emma halved her cattle operation this season due to lack of feed, has had been purchasing supplemental feed (hay, silage, and forage sorghum) and is anticipating a slow recovery despite the recent rain due to cold weather.

"This season has been tough," she said.

"We have had to halve our cows, selling them while they are still in good condition and that has helped buy feed for our remaining stock.

"Recent rainfall is positive but we've had paddocks locked up since autumn and or late summer and we have seen little to no growth, as it's so cold we're not going to see any significant growth until it warms up again."

Emma said she reduced hay and silage yields in the previous season and expects to remain on the back foot for the coming season.

"Last year we didn't get a lot of rain at the right time so our yield of silage and hay was behind, and so are our reserves," she said.

"The rain is certainly positive and a lot of paddocks are looking a lot better now...going forward we are just going to need to adapt."

Last week's rainfall of between 30mm to 70mm throughout the Rural City of Wangaratta is the heaviest seen since March, and delivered the wettest month of the year, which has be punctuated by below average rainfall.

Wangaratta-based Corcoran Parker livestock agent Reiley Murtagh said despite the drier year the current cattle market remains strong and he is optimistic looking into spring for local cattle farmers.

“While the past 18 months have been challenging, the recent rainfall is positive for spring pasture growth,” he said.

“The rainfall is putting moisture into the ground which is normal for our winter and sets people up for growth in the spring.

“Due to the dry times, we are seeing people having to sell to downscale their operations, but this rainfall is bringing some positivity so if people are prepared to keep feeding their cattle over this month and the next, they are going to be in the box seat for the future as we are still seeing strong cattle prices and high demand, particularly from northern New South Wales and southern Queensland.”

Weather conditions across the North East are having an impact across local agricultural industries, with recent rainfall offering a small respite in the face of an overall challenging season for local crop growers.

Wangaratta-based Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist Claire Wilson said farmers in the region have faced challenges in the growing season due to the erratic rainfall.

“The region had rainfall mid-March which gave some early moisture, so if people had crops in and seeded, they managed to drag through going off that moisture in the topsoil,” she said.

“But we didn't end up having a decent rain until mid-June and that has definitely gotten a few people a bit more relaxed and relieved, but it has still been a very challenging season.

“The split in those decent rainfalls has meant we’ve had seven to eight weeks between germination and growth which now poses some big challenges in terms of what we can do from a chemistry and herbicide point of view in terms of weeds and pest pressure.

“Delayed planting and growth due to insufficient rainfall has meant split germination which has resulted in uneven crop growth and increased pest vulnerability including red legs and lucerne flea, impacting both crops and pastures.

“We have crops growing at different rates which means we can’t follow the usual routine.

“This season has been challenging and has meant we have all had to adapt, but anyone in the industry will tell you that no two seasons are ever the same.”