In his Agricultural Conditions Report, ranger Robert Neate described January as a very disappointing month for district landholders.

“Apart from narrow strips of country under storms, there was very little effective rainfall with Cobar’s 11.2mm being well below the monthly average of 47.6mm,” the ranger reported.

“Weather conditions were generally hot and dry, and baked any livestock feed which had responded from patchy rain that fell during December.

“High evaporation rates and the lack of surface storage run-off has resulted in some ground tanks/dams becoming dry.

“The Darling River which forms the Cobar district’s western boundary however, continued to receive a good flushing from recent upstream flooding (a peak in excess of 10 metres was recorded at Tilpa).”

Mr Neate said good market prices made selling livestock a more attractive option than supplementary feeding.

“Landholders continue to sell-off livestock as their feed runs out,” he said.

“Lack of desperately needed follow-up rain from the December falls has seen most of the green response rapidly disappear.

“Overall January was a very disappointing month for landholders in the Cobar area.”