AUTUMN rains have put a smile on a lot of faces and a patina of green on a lot of paddocks around the region.
With rainfalls being recorded over 40mm in one day in parts of the region, the monthly average of 28.8mm over the last thirty years has been well and truly exceeded.
With the rainfall being a steady drizzle rather than a heavy downpour, the region has been spared the problem of flooding however rivers are likely to rise over coming days as the rainfalls in upstream areas work their way into the waterways.
Unlike parts of New South Wales, Queensland and eastern Victoria where rainfalls have been up to 800mm over the period of a few days, the rainfall for the Goulburn Valley has been modest yet welcomed.
Rushworth olive farmer, Russ Knight welcomed the rains however, some stone fruit growers in the region may not be so pleased.
On top of their problems getting labour to carry out the pick, when it rains, fruit of many stone fruit varieties may suffer from cracking or splitting, defects that make them unsaleable.
As the weather is still having warm cycles, a further problem can be humidity and low wind speed and how that impacts diseases and fungal growth.
Problems aside, the rainfall is generally welcomed and the effect being seen is that the countryside is turning green again.
