‘Devastated’ farmers tell of their race against the rain

Photo: AV weather

Victorian farmers have pulled all-nighters in a desperate bid to save their crops from flooding rains.

Mallee farmer Linc McClelland told Ross and John he was harvesting his wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas and lentils until 4.30am this morning.

But it won’t be enough.

“We’ve finished everything other than the wheat,” he said.

“Another two or three days and we’d be right, but the rain will probably beat us. We won’t finish.

“You don’t often get long-range forecasts like this, so you try to do what you can. You just have to prioritise what’s there.”

Victorian Farmers Association chief David Jochinke said the timing was of the rain was “absolutely devastating”.

Click PLAY to hear David Jochinke and Linc McClelland