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Rain brings smiles for SA farmers

Rural hopes high after good weekend rainfall - ABC

South Australian farmers say heavy rain across wide areas could set them up for a good start to the season.

Falls over the long weekend have been nearly 100 millimetres on parts of Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas.

In the Murray Mallee, 30 millimetres was dumped at Karoonda on Monday morning alone.

Chairman of the Farmers Federation's grains committee, Michael Schaefer, says it is too early to start sowing crops but similar rains on parts of Eyre Peninsula last year set the season up.

"They had a cracking season so it does give the growers a lot of confidence," he said.

"It doesn't mean it will turn out that way but at least you go into the cropping season with confidence.

"Some people might have had a bit of flooding which might have damaged fences and things like that which would be a bit disappointing, but as far as cropping goes and getting the ground wet - the fact that the ground is wet I think is very positive."

- ABC

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