By Isabella Kelly, ABC
Fifth-generation farmer Ian Ellery has tentatively welcomed what could be the end of dry conditions.
Photo: ABC/Isabella Kelly
When farmers had to dry seed after one of the driest starts to the year on record in 2024, they had no idea what was to come.
Now, after two years, and the worst conditions many landholders have ever seen, rain has fallen.
Just outside the Mid North town of Orroroo, which has been one of the worst hit by dry conditions, sits a tiny town called Morchard, with a population of 12.
Nearly 20 kilometres out of Morchard is the Ellery family farm, with fifth-generation farmer Ian Ellery at its helm.
He said the last few years have been the driest he can recall.
“[Drought] creeps up on you slowly,” Ellery said.
The red-coloured dirt of the land near Orroroo.
Photo: ABC/Che Chorley
“It’s just another management situation, whether you’re dealing with the way you’re going to feed your livestock or how you make your cropping decisions.
“It’s not until the drought finishes that you’re starting to relax a bit more, and you realise that the pressure has built up on people.”
Last year, the Ellery farm had 200 millimetres of rain – about two-thirds of its annual average.
Last fortnight, it had 150mm.
“One rain [event] doesn’t make a season, we all know that… but boy it’s a great start,” Ellery said.
So, does that mean the drought is over?
“We’ve given it a real good kick, haven’t we?” Ellery said.
“Thinking with my grazier’s hat on, I think, ‘Yes, it is,’ because we won’t be going into hand feeding now.
“For our particular area, yes, I would say it’s probably the finish of the dry period, of the drought.”
But as for what the rest of the season brings, he says only time will tell.
No such thing as an official drought declaration
As the government repeatedly drew attention to at the beginning of the dry conditions, there is no such thing as an official declaration of drought anymore.
But that means there is also nothing official to tell us when it is over. So, are we allowed to call it yet?
Grain Producers SA (GPSA) chief executive Brad Perry says yes, and no.
Brad Perry said there were still pockets and regions across the state that missed the rain.
Photo: ABC/Marco Catalano
“Defining drought is challenging in many ways, but generally it’s below average rainfall and below average yields over multiple years,” he said.
“Many areas of the state, you would say, are no longer in drought.”
There is a caveat, of course.
“There are certainly pockets and regions across the state that are still in drought,” Perry said.
“These recent rains… didn’t reach every single area of the state. So those that got it, I think they’re really, really happy and positive that they’re going to have some soil moisture coming into seeding.
“But for those who missed out, I think it really hurt.”
While the Bureau of Meteorology total in Orroroo for the seven days to March 4 was 94mm, landholders recorded up to 150mm.
Photo: ABC/Isabella Kelly
In parts of the Riverland, 117mm of rain fell over 24 hours last week. At Wudinna, it was 152mm. Even the outback town of Yunta felt 142mm.
Farmers are not out of the woods yet, though.
“It’ll probably give us our best start in two or three years, there is no doubt about that,” Perry said.
“But we also know that there is still a long way to go in a growing season – we haven’t even got to seeding yet.”
Farmers will still need support
Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven, who has previously said the drought was officially confirmed by the state government in November 2024 with the announcement of a drought support package, said no matter what, farmers would still need support for some time.
“Just because it has rained, the drought is not over, and the impacts of the drought are not over,” she said.
Clare Scriven said farmers will continue to need support even if drought times are over.
Photo: ABC/Eliza Berlage
“The impacts will continue for a long time, and it’s important that we know that in terms of supporting our primary producers, and also in terms of any impacts that we might see at the check-out.”
GPSA is expecting the drought “hangover” to last for up to five years.
“After a couple of the toughest years in some of those cropping regions in the state’s history, one rain [event] just doesn’t fix everything,” Perry said.
“Whether that comes to cash flow challenges, whether that comes to being able to employ workers again.
“The really big challenge is over those drought years, a lot of farmers weren’t able to sow full crops, so their income was reduced based on that.
“There’s some tough conversations that are being had with banks at the moment as farmers go through bank reviews.”
For now, though, farmers like Ellery are soaking in the once-in-a-generation rain.
“Once you get that rain, you get that break in the season, and you realise that there could be a good future coming,” Ellery said.
“I think we’re off to a good start.”
– ABC