Shoots of green are beginning to break through parched land in Singleton, in the New South Wales Hunter.

The first 7 weeks of 2020 has seen just over 140 millimetres of rain recorded.

That’s more than the total for the final 9 months of 2019.

Greg Bull runs a cattle beef farm, with no irrigation north of Singleton.

In a “normal” year he’d run about 900 head of cattle, but around three years of drought has seen him in “sell mode” now with 400 head.

Despite the wet start to the year, he told rural editor Eddie Summerfield it’ll still take about 100 millimetres of rain before a dint is made in one of the worst drought’s on record.

“The main creek on the property is bone dry, so no run off, and our farm dams are probably 20%, we still haven’t seen any run off rain.”

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