After a dry lead up to summer, the hotter period delivered some welcome rain to producers, with significant falls in December replenishing the region.

While February’s rainfall of 64.8mm recorded  at Armidale Airport fell short of the average 96.9mm, December and January rain took the summer total up to 341.2mm. 

This figure soared over the summer average of 283.9mm. 

However, Armidale producer Tony Menkens said the dry end to the season would make things tough coming into winter. 

He said he’d like to see at least 60mm fall in March to make up for a disappointing February. 

“The outlook doesn’t look great,” he said. 

“One good thing though is that the temperature has stayed high, which allows growth.”

On a positive note, the Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences has forecast the gross value of farms will increase by 5.3 per cent next financial year.

Bureau director Karen Schneider said the values of both livestock and crop production were forecast to rise. 

“The gross value of livestock production is forecast to increase by about 5.6 per cent to $25.9 billion in 2015–16,” she said.

“The forecast increase in livestock production value mainly reflects the effect of higher saleyard and farm gate prices, which more than offsets expected lower slaughter as a result of assumed herd and flock rebuilding.”

The forecast is emulated by the success of Armidale producers in January, with farmers riding off the back of recent rain and a low Australian dollar to fetch record prices for lamb, mutton and beef.