Great soaking for Great Southern

Widespread rainfall across the Great Southern has been a game- changer for farmers in the region.

While many farms in area had missed out on the break received by other wheatbelt farmers over the Anzac weekend in late April, significant falls over the past week have meant seeding programs have begun across the area.

Kojonup farmers Pete and Jahna Trethowan received 104mm on their property last Tuesday, signalling the end to one of the driest summer periods in their farming career.

The Trethowans have now stopped their seeding program to allow the rain to soak in, and for the weeds to germinate.

"I spent three hours the other day digging the air seeder out, I'd go five feet then dig it out again," Mr Trethowan said.

"We had water flowing over the roads, and I lost six fences.

"But it's really good, the pasture was starting to get a bit wilted in the afternoons, so we needed a good rain to get the pastures under way."

Mr Trethowan said according to his rainfall records, there had been only two summer periods recorded that had not received any rainfall from mid-October to April.

He said those two years were 2010 and 2013.

Mr Trethowan said his property missed out on the widespread rainfall over the Anzac weekend.

"We received 25mm in early May, but yes, we were starting to get a bit worried," he said.

"From that 25mm we were able to get half a germination, so I was able to get in and kill half the weeds, and I've been putting in canola since then, but as of last Tuesday, we've had to stop because I've been bogged four times."

Mr Trethowan said the 104mm, plus another 7mm late last week, had been a game-changer for his farming business.

"I had an excavator here cleaning out dams, and the contractor was halfway through a dam, but he had to pull it out that night, and then by the morning the dam was over flowing," he said.

"Almost every dam on the place is overflowing now - and that's after some of our dams were completely dry.

"I hadn't seen the bottom of them since I started farming in 1996, but they were dry this year, and I had to stop grazing some of those paddocks since the sheep didn't have access to any water."

Mr Trethowan said he would now wait for a week or so before getting back into planting his wheat, oats and barley.

"Its exciting, it really is," he said.

"It certainly brings challenges with it, but the benefits outweigh the negatives, the dams are full, the tanks are full, yes it's really great."

_GREAT SOUTHERN RAINFALL _

Frankland * 90mm

Chamingup * 89mm

Kojonup * 88mm

Riverdale * 87mm

Cranbrook * 78mm

Tambellup * 64mm

Duranillin * 62mm

Cherry * *Tree * 62mm

_Source: Bureau of Meteorology _