Handy falls have been received in the areas which needed it most and this has offered a promise of rejuvenating extremely thirsty winter crops.

Drought parched areas like Hay have been turned to mud after 50mm fell and West Wyalong recorded 46mm, Barham a whopping 56mm, and Swan Hill, 43mm.

The gentle soaking rain set in about a week ago and has offered the best reprieve in some parts that farmers have seen in recent years.

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) district agronomist at Coleambally Kieran O’Keeffe said 30mm to 40mm fell in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA).

“And it is still raining now,” he said.

For those who had crops in the ground the rain was enough to save them and for others who were still planting it was a huge boost.

Mr O’Keeffe said the earlier dry-sown crops were starting to struggle a bit before the rain arrived.

“It will certainly get those crops out of the ground now,” he said.

“Everyone is smiling.”

Despite the falls he said more moisture was needed to top up the soil profile, but the recent rain would definitely help because of the lower evaporation rates.

Brothers Picolo and Rod Fyfe were delighted with the rain which fell on their Southern NSW properties.

Falls varied from 25mm to 38mm at Murtee Station, Wilcannia, and “Arrowvale”, Tullibigeal, and “Redluom”, Euabalong West.

“It will allow us to get all of our crop up,” Piccolo Fyfe said.

“We have about 25 per cent left to sow.”

Mr Fyfe estimated 60 per cent of what had already been sown had emerged and the rain made him more confident.

“We are not getting complacent, there is a long way to go yet,” he said.

Across the different properties the brothers had already sown 11,500 hectares of winter crop and had another 3280 hectares still to plant.

My Fyfe estimated they would be finished in about a week.

* Full story in The Land newspaper on Thursday.