The season break has finally arrived for the Hampel family at Meribah after more than 35 millimetres of rain fell in the marginal region last week, providing the Hampels with the season start they have been waiting on for more than a month.
The first crop was sown last week but Glen Hampel and his son Jeffrey, jumped into the tractor a month later than originally planned, making it their latest start to a season for more than a decade.
The Hampels crop about 2225 hectares in the northern Murray Mallee, that has a total annual rainfall of just 150mm.
After not receiving rain since November last year, Glen said up until last week “the season was touch and go”.
“We do not dry sow so it was the break to the season we have been waiting for,” he said.
After beginning to sow 1200ha of wheat last Saturday, Jeffrey said because of how late the start to the season was he only hoped for an average year.
“Anything more than that is a bonus,” he said.
“We hope to be finished by next week but our season is subject to a good spring – 25mm would be ideal.”