Just outside the Mid North town of Orroroo, which has been one of the worst hit by dry conditions<\/a>, sits a tiny town called Morchard, with a population of 12.<\/p>\n The red-coloured dirt of the land near Orroroo. (ABC News: Che Chorley)<\/p>\n Nearly 20 kilometres out of Morchard is the Ellery family farm, with fifth-generation farmer Ian Ellery at its helm.<\/p>\n He said the last few years have been the driest he can recall.<\/p>\n “[Drought] creeps up on you slowly,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mr Ellery said.<\/p>\n “It’s just another management situation, whether you’re dealing with the way you’re going to feed your livestock or how you make your cropping decisions.<\/p>\n “It’s not until the drought finishes that you’re starting to relax a bit more, and you realise that the pressure has built up on people.”<\/p>\n Last year, the Ellery farm had 200 millimetres of rain \u2014 about two-thirds of its annual average.<\/p>\n Last fortnight, it had 150mm.<\/p>\n “One rain [event] doesn’t make a season, we all know that \u2026 but boy it’s a great start,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mr Ellery said.<\/p>\n So, does that mean the drought is over?<\/p>\n “We’ve given it a real good kick, haven’t we?” Mr Ellery said.<\/p>\n Dams have been filled, and overflowed in some cases, thanks to the recent rain. (ABC Rural: Isabella Kelly)<\/p>\n “Thinking with my grazier’s hat on, I think, ‘Yes, it is,’ because we won’t be going into hand feeding now.<\/p>\n “For our particular area, yes, I would say it’s probably the finish of the dry period, of the drought.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But as for what the rest of the season brings, he says only time will tell.<\/p>\n No such thing as an official drought declaration<\/p>\n As the government repeatedly drew attention to at the beginning of the dry conditions, there is no such thing as an official declaration of drought anymore.<\/a><\/p>\n But that means there is also nothing official to tell us when it is over. So, are we allowed to call it yet?<\/p>\n Grain Producers SA (GPSA) chief executive Brad Perry says yes, and no.<\/p>\n Brad Perry said there were still pockets and regions across the state that missed the rain. (ABC News: Marco Catalano)<\/p>\n “Defining drought is challenging in many ways, but generally it’s below average rainfall and below average yields over multiple years,” he said.<\/p>\n “Many areas of the state, you would say, are no longer in drought.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n There is a caveat, of course.<\/p>\n “There are certainly pockets and regions across the state that are still in drought,” Mr Perry said.<\/p>\n “These recent rains \u2026 didn’t reach every single area of the state. So those that got it, I think they’re really, really happy and positive that they’re going to have some soil moisture coming into seeding.<\/p>\n “But for those who missed out, I think it really hurt.”<\/p>\n While the Bureau of Meteorology total in Orroroo for the seven days to March 4 was 94mm, landholders recorded up to 150mm. (ABC Rural: Isabella Kelly)<\/p>\n In parts of the Riverland, 117mm of rain fell over 24 hours last week. At Wudinna, it was 152mm. Even the outback town of Yunta felt 142mm.<\/p>\n Farmers are not out of the woods yet, though.<\/p>\n “It’ll probably give us our best start in two or three years, there is no doubt about that,” Mr Perry said.<\/p>\n “But we also know that there is still a long way to go in a growing season \u2014 we haven’t even got to seeding yet.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Farmers will still need support<\/p>\n Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven, who has previously said<\/a> the drought was officially confirmed by the state government in November 2024 with the announcement of a drought support package<\/a>,<\/a> said no matter what, farmers would still need support for some time.<\/p>\n “Just because it has rained, the drought is not over, and the impacts of the drought are not over,” she said.<\/p>\n Clare Scriven said farmers will continue to need support even if drought times are over. (ABC Rural: Eliza Berlage)<\/p>\n “The impacts will continue for a long time, and it’s important that we know that in terms of supporting our primary producers, and also in terms of any impacts that we might see at the check-out.”<\/p>\n GPSA is expecting the drought “hangover” to last for up to five years.<\/p>\n “After a couple of the toughest years in some of those cropping regions in the state’s history, one rain [event] just doesn’t fix everything,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Mr Perry said.<\/p>\n “Whether that comes to cash flow challenges, whether that comes to being able to employ workers again.<\/p>\n “The really big challenge is over those drought years, a lot of farmers weren’t able to sow full crops, so their income was reduced based on that.<\/p>\n “There’s some tough conversations that are being had with banks at the moment as farmers go through bank reviews.”<\/p>\n The rain has brought colour back to the land, with natives like the garland lily popping up around the countryside. (Supplied: Shane Kelly)<\/p>\n For now, though, farmers like Mr Ellery are soaking in the once-in-a-generation rain.<\/p>\n “Once you get that rain, you get that break in the season, and you realise that there could be a good future coming,” Mr Ellery said.<\/p>\n “I think we’re off to a good start.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/adbc0abefb298b4d96f03ba543580246.jpeg\")
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