The drenching rain over the past two weeks has been generally welcomed across North East Victoria and Riverina.

Senior agronomist at Landmark Lavington Doug McEachern said confidence was up across broadacre farms.

“It has been a long time since everything’s been good at once. Grain prices are good, perhaps wheat could be a bit more, but you can’t control that,” Mr McEachern said.

“The forecast is we should still get a bit of rain in February but the longer forecast is it might be a dry March-April but the temperatures will be lower so the moisture should be retained.

“It won’t take a big rain to get started.”

Mr McEachern said while the rain had replenished dams and soil moisture profile was good, moisture retention was a focus.

“Most of the no-till famers are on their second spray taking out the summer weeds,” he said.

“There has been an influx of weeds from the recent rains but most farmers are on their second spray and that should take the moisture-robbing plants out.”

Damaging hail at Moyhu fell among 76mm since January 28.

“We've had enough rain, we just need some reasonable sunshiny days,” de Bortoli vineyard manager David Thwaites said.

Bio-dynamic vegetable growers Greenwood and Grogan Produce, who sell at farmers’ markets and by pre-order, said their stone fruit was picked before hail hit their Allans Flat farm.

“We had just some minor hail damage but we were pretty lucky,” said co-owner Matt Grogan.

“It set things back a little but, it was highly unseasonal but no complaints.

“It pretty much just means it slows it all up a bit essentially. It will yellow off some of the pumpkins but I think they’ll spring back.”

Winegrape growers would welcome a return to sunshine.

Winemakers of Rutherglen vice chairman Rowly Milhinch said rain put the flavour of grapes on hold but it would return with fine weather and would continue to develop before harvesting.

He said it would allow red varieties such as durif more time to ripen.