The amount of rain by yesterday morning varied from 50mm in the Tallangatta Valley to just 7mm around Pleasant Hills, where Peter Hahn’s header was sitting idle.

Mr Hahn said there was 1mm of rain on Friday but he had his header going by midday Saturday.

Further rain early yesterday morning stopped stripping and it could be a couple of days before it resumes with drizzly rain falling.

Mr Hahn said the rain was a nuisance and if it hung around it could cause some crop damage.

He has completed about 30 per cent of his harvest but farmers around Lockhart, Milbrulong, Rand and Urana are almost finished.

There was little rain north of Rand but Walbundrie farmer Bill Nesbitt recorded 27mm to lunch time yesterday.

Heavy rain on Saturday night will stop harvesting for several days.

Walla agronomist Tim Paramore had received 23mm by yesterday morning.

He said the biggest worry was no wheat in his region has been harvested and it could lose some quality.

The seed could absorb some water which would lead to downgrading of the grain.

Mr Paramore said a check of his wheat crop last Tuesday revealed a moisture content of 16 per cent and it had to be 12 per cent to be accepted.

It was down to 7 per cent on Friday before the rain.

The rain was good for pasture like lucerne but there was insufficient for run-off into dams which were badly in need of water.

Tallangatta Valley farmer Stuart Morant received 50mm by yesterday morning and had a race against time on Friday to finish some square bales before the rain.

“We were so lucky to get it baled,” Mr Morant said.

Tractors were stacking the bales as they were finished and the 120 completed bales were covered by tarps in the paddock with heavy rain starting at 3am Saturday.

Mr Morant has a total of 230 square bales and 140 silage rolls.

“At least we will have our hay sheds full,” he said.