LATE spring frosts in the Loddon have hit crops with at least one farmer turning 250 acres of wheat into baled hay.
Oakvale’s Brett Hosking said the mid-September heavy frost, coming after weeks of lighter morning ice covering, had done the damage.
“It was zero degrees that Monday at 4.30am and was still zero two hours later,” he said.
“We’ve have to turn around 250 acres of a wheat crop into baling hay.”
Mr Hosking said there had been little frost damage to his lentil crop but expects the yield to be down 10 per cent.
“There’s been damage across the Wimmera and Mallee and it came just in that window. You can see the damage in some areas,” he said.
He said the combination of a dry winter and dry air had made the region more frost prone.
“We are lucky really considering the dry finish we have had this spring,” Mr Hosking said.
“The early season rain put us in a reasonably good position.”
Farmers across the region are still hoping for spring rains as some crops struggle in dryer conditions.
Rainfall last Sunday was patchy in Loddon districts with up to 10mm recorded around Boort while southern areas received between 4mm and 6mm.
Agriculture Victoria has reported another drier month in the north of the state has seen crops and pastures using up available soil moisture. In the south, frequent low rainfall events are yet to lead to runoff in the south-west.
Its latest report says: “Outlook model predictions for increased chances of wetter (months) are yet to come to fruition. Most models still predicting increased chance of wetter (weather) in future, but our confidence is low based on recent performance.
“Progress towards a La Niña still very slow. Oceans (are) warmer to the north of Australia, but connections to tropical moisture are hampered by unhelpful pressure positioning.” Warmer temperatures are predicted for the next three months.