Dry 2025 taking its toll on Tasmanian farmers

Rain totals were below average in 2025 for most of Tasmania, with that trend set to continue in the first half of this year.

Last year was drier than 2024, with falls very much below average for pockets of the coast, and average for parts of the west, centre, south-east and north-east.

Bureau of Meteorology data indicated that Tasmania's area-averaged rainfall total in 2025 was 1208.4 mm, 11 per cent below the 1961–1990 average.

The national long-range forecast for March to May indicates drier-than-average conditions across most areas south of the tropics and warmer-than-average temperatures.

Farmer George Shea said the last two years had been a carbon copy of each other, weather-wise.

“We’ve had a spring with lots of rain, and then once we get to Christmas, the taps have shut off,” Mr Shea said.

“We haven’t been getting an autumn break until well into April or May.

“Unfortunately, this year’s looking the same.”

Mr Shea said that he hoped the autumn break would take place in March, much earlier than in previous years.

“Maybe I’m a bit pessimistic, but the lack of an autumn break seems to be the pattern we are in now.

“It’s going to get tough for the next six to eight weeks, and we might not see any decent rain until well into April as we have in the last few years.”

The weather is what Mr Shea said was the main reason behind his farm no longer running cattle.

“Not having the autumn break and having basically six months of the year where it virtually doesn’t rain at all made it too difficult to keep cattle here, so we got rid of our cattle and increased sheep numbers.”

Mr Shea said he estimated that his farm had up to 20 per cent less stock than 15 years ago.

“And we’ve had to do that because of the lack of continuity with rainfall.

“The fact that you get long periods without rain and then a heap all at once makes it really difficult to maintain levels of nutrition.”

Vegetable grower Nathan Richardson said his crops were delayed last year due to the weather.

“Up until June 2025, we’d had less than a third of our annual rainfall,” Mr Richardson said.

“That delayed the sowing of autumn and winter crops because it was so dry.”

In August, the Sassafras, Wesley Vale and Thirlstane areas - where Mr Richardson is based - had large rainfalls.

“It was a case of being careful what you wish for,” he said.

“What we didn’t want was a wet spring with a lot of wind, and that’s what we got.

“2025 had both ends of the spectrum.”

Mr Richardson’s farm has irrigation, something that he said meant the property had reliable water supplies.

Dairy farmer Geoff Cox said the weather conditions in 2025 for agricultural production were horrible.

“We’re having a dry summer, but if we get good rains in the next couple of months, we could have a reasonable autumn.”