Cooyar cattle producer Chris Mylett, Leithdale, Cooyar is hoping for rain this Spring after an average season for his fodder oats crop.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Spring climate outlook is forecasting an equal chance of above or below average rainfall across most of Queensland, while temperatures are expected to be above average after the mild winter conditions.
Mr Mylett said his property hasn’t received a good fall of rain since April and only planted a smaller than usual winter oats crop.
“The oats crop was planted in the first week of April after the good soaking rain from the cyclone, which would have been about four inches of rain,” he said.
“We didn’t receive any follow-up rain so the fodder crop has done it pretty tough with only dribs and drabs of rainfall.”
Mr Mylett also add he decided to sell some weaner cattle straight-off the cow due to the plainer weather conditions and limited winter oats crop.
“It was a Warrego oats crop I planted and it definitely did it tough at times, but did manage to get through,” he said.
“This year is a better oats crop season than last year, it was very ordinary in 2016, but the two years before in 2015 and 2014 we had a run of very good oats crops.
“Overall it was an average oats crop plus the very mild winter, with little cold weather, helped keep the condition on our cattle.
Mr Mylett said it will be interesting to see how Spring unfolds.
“If we do get some decent rain it will be interesting to see what cattle market prices do after the recent decline from their highs.”