Latest updates and advice
- Crops have established over much of the southern agricultural areas that experienced an earlier break of season. In northern areas, crops have been sown dry with growers adjusting their seeding programs as appropriate in preparation for the predicted end of break of season at the end of May.
- The Bureau of Meteorology’s rainfall outlook for June to August 2025 indicates near normal rainfall for the lower west of WA. The pattern of above normal temperatures is expected to continue through winter with forecasts of unusually high daytime temperatures over most of Australia. See the Bureau’s seasonal outlook video for details and check monthly updates to the Seasonal Climate Outlook.
- While some areas have received some dam-filling rainfall, other areas remain drier. Plan ahead to ensure there is enough quality water available for livestock until break of season and formulate or enact contingency plans. See Livestock management and Water sections for information to assist decision-making, particularly for dry seasonal conditions.
- Consider the timing of soil mixing and soil inversion; these operations should be carried out when the soil is moist to reduce the risk of soil erosion and ensure the best amelioration outcome. See Soils section for further information.
Funding and support services
Support services are available to assist rural people in stressful situations, these include:
- Regional Men’s Health Initiative
- Rural Aid
- Lifeline
- Beyond Blue
- Rural West financial counselling service.
More information can be found on WA's rural support services directory.
View the rural support services directory
Department research sheep flock
Livestock
- Consider stock water requirements. Plan to ensure there is enough quality water available into early winter and formulate or enact contingency plans. Visit the Water for livestock page to learn more.
- Pastures have germinated but Pastures from Space™ shows growth rates have slowed. Review feed budgets and use supplementary feeding until sufficient pasture is available to support stock. Factor in multiple plans, including worst-case scenarios such as supplementary feeding for longer if conditions remain dry and pasture Feed on Offer (FOO) is low or there has been a false break.
- Dry sowing of forage cereal crops can provide early grazing and allow deferment of regenerating annual pastures. Sow crops at 80-100 kg/ha, followed by a nitrogen application of 5-10 kg/ha for low soil nitrogen paddocks. Ensure crops are protected from pests and wait until plants are well anchored before grazing.
- Keep an eye out for insect pests of regenerating and newly sown legume pastures such as red-legged earth mite and lucerne flea. Severe infestations can reduce feed availability and applications of insecticide may be required. Chemical control options can be found in the Autumn/Winter Insecticide Guide 2025, being mindful of any withholding periods for grazing. See pasture and grazing management for further information.
- Confinement feeding is an option to reduce overall energy demand and allow pastures to establish at the break of season. Pregnant ewes should be released from confinement at least 2-3 weeks prior to the start of lambing. Read our factsheet to find out more about considerations when setting up confinement feeding areas.
- Be vigilant for signs of kikuyu poisoning in sheep and cattle. Toxicity is more common in stock grazing lush kikuyu dominant pastures and is most likely 2 to 3 weeks after a rainfall event. See StockedUp (May 2025 edition) for management tips and signs of kikuyu poisoning.
- Be aware of the symptoms of Annual Ryegrass Toxicity (ARGT). It’s important that purchased feed is tested for ARGT.
- Contact your local DPIRD field vet to report unusual disease signs, abnormal behaviour or unexpected deaths in your livestock.
- See the latest StockedUp newsletter for a range of seasonal production advice and management tips.
- Monitor sheep condition score in the lead up to lambing. Ewes should be in condition score 3 at lambing to ensure good lamb survival and reduce ewe mortality. Ewes in poor condition at lambing (especially twin bearers) have a higher risk of pregnancy toxaemia. For further information on pregnancy toxaemia, see the StockedUp newsletter (May 2025 edition).
- Widespread rain, wind and cold temperatures are forecast over the next week. Ensure lambing ewes have priority access to sheltered paddocks to reduce the risk of lamb mortality due to exposure. Twin lambs are especially at risk due to their low birthweight.
- While some areas have established pastures with enough feed for grazing, other areas only have green pick. Be mindful that this will not provide the nutritional requirements for pregnant ewes and supplementation is still necessary until FOO reaches 800 kg DM/ha. The requirement of lactating ewes is higher, so supplementary feeding is required until FOO reaches 1500-2000 kg DM/ha. See our calculator to work out feeding rates.
- Warm temperatures, rainfall and low wind has seen flystrike occurring in some areas. Monitor the flock and treat if necessary.
- Ensure vaccinations such as pulpy kidney are up to date, as stock coming from dry or sprayed stubble paddocks may develop pulpy kidney when placed onto lush, green pastures.
- Conduct faecal worm egg counts and drench with an effective drench if necessary.
- Pregnancy scanning is a great way to help identify poor performers when stock rates need to be reduced. It also enables producers to allocate feed, prioritising the more productive animals with a higher energy demand.
View the dry season management information and resources to assist you this season.
- Supplementary feeding is important to maintain adequate condition score of beef cattle (both rangelands and southern cattle) held on farm.
- Monitor Feed On Offer (FOO). If inadequate FOO, confined feeding may be an option.
- Cows with calves at foot are at peak feed demand during lactation. Young cows in particular require more feed as they have not reached mature weight. Assess feed requirements to determine whether pastures are adequate.
- Pastoralists can refer to resources to support them in a dry year, including decisions to hold or sell breeding cattle.
Crops
- Refer to the 2025 WA Crop Sowing Guide for some management tips on major crops.
- Refer to the Rainfall to date tool to assist with seasonal decision-making. The tool produces graphs using daily rainfall data from weather stations across the state and displays how the season is tracking compared to historical date displayed in deciles. Growers should also consider additional factors such as stored soil moisture, soil water-holding capacity, stored nitrogen, rainfall timing and intensity for in-season decisions.
- For information to identify and manage your crop pests and diseases throughout the season refer to PestFacts WA.
Soils
Consider the timing of soil mixing and soil inversion; these operations should be carried out when the soil is moist to reduce the risk of soil erosion and ensure the best amelioration outcome. For deep ripping, timing involves finding the appropriate window when the soil is moist, whilst not conflicting with seeding. The options include:
- deep rip after seeding but early enough not to disturb establishing plants too much (generally within 3 days of seeding) although this can also reduce crop establishment
- deep rip in the inter-row of crops sown on wide rows during the growing season, which requires precision and patience
- deep rip opportunistically after significant out-of-season rains, which may require waiting until spring then ripping fallowed paddocks.
For soil inversion or mixing, it is imperative to plan management of wind erosion risk after the operation.
- Rolling susceptible sands with a ridged or 'sheeps foot' roller that leaves a compressed, ridged or pitted surface may slightly reduce wind erosion risk, but will not remove it.
- Amelioration techniques that leave a cloddy surface can reduce erosion levels and should not be rolled until immediately prior to sowing.
- Sowing cereal crops into the wet soil as soon as possible after inversion will also minimise risk by achieving an emergence at the earliest possibility. Damage to the establishing crop through sand blasting remains a risk.
- Late amelioration, generally that completed during June, is more profitable than late crop sown into non-ameliorated soil.
Landholders are encouraged to assess and manage wind erosion risk at each stage of the cropping year:
Water
In areas where farm water supplies are inadequate, it is important to:
- Assess available water supplies and quality and bulk up water into as few remaining larger and deeper dams as possible.
- Calculate a water budget for livestock – before problems develop.
- Test all dams and bores being used for livestock and spraying as water quality (salinity) may not be suitable as levels drop.
- Groundwater desalination on farms: Please remember that you must submit a notice of intent to drain or pump water – desalination (NOI), together with the neighbour comments, to the Commissioner of Soil and Land Conservation at least 90 days before intended discharge.
- Plan now for maintenance of dams and roaded catchments.
Climate outlook
Rainfall outlook for June 2025 from the Bureau of Meteorology, updated 19 May, shows normal rain is highly likely for most of the state, including parts of the agricultural area. The seasonal rainfall outlook for June to August 2025 indicates near normal rainfall is likely for the lower west of WA. See the Bureau’s seasonal outlook video for more details.
Many international climate models have a neutral to above normal rainfall outlook for the South West Land Division for this period, from their May runs. A neutral outlook means extreme wet or dry events are less likely, and a wide range of rainfall amounts remains possible.
The pattern of above normal temperatures continues through winter, with chances of unusually high daytime temperatures being elevated over most of Australia.
Check monthly updates in DPIRD's Seasonal Climate OutlookClimate resources
- DPIRD weather stations map
- Rainfall to date tool
- BoM weekly rainfall for the south-west forecast districts
- BoM weekly rainfall for the northern & eastern forecast districts
- Bureau of Meteorology: Water and land
- Climate data online (BoM daily rainfall and other local climate records)
- Australian CliMate app
- Animated global weather conditions affecting WA
Contact us
-
Christine Zaicou-KuneschFarming Systems ManagerGascoyne & Mid West
Related information
- SWWA Drought Hub's Dry season resources
- Water Corporation: Great Southern water supply
- Water Corporation: South West water supply
- Managing farm water supplies - Agriculture Victoria
- DPIRD Grains Convo podcast list
- DWER Rural water planning
- 2025 Season - Grain Industry Association of Western Australia