IRRIGATION water rationing has ended after Anzac Day rainfalls up to 30mm were recorded in parts of the Loddon.
Goulburn Murray Water on Monday said many irrigators in the Boort, Calivil and Dingee district had cancelled or reduced existing orders after the rain.
“The rain received on Anzac Day had a big impact on irrigation demand in the rationed areas,” said GMW incident controller Mark Bailey.
“We are now able to remove restrictions, which means customers can take what their allocation allows rather than a percentage of their delivery share.”
An estimated 370 irrigators had been on rationing since March 5. The Loddon Valley irrigation district was the only GMW area hit with restrictions.
He said rationing was introduced to ensure irrigators continued to have fair access to water while irrigation demand was exceptionally high.
“We will continue to closely monitor irrigation demand throughout our region to determine whether any further changes are necessary,” Dr Bailey said.
Farmers across the region said they were now looking for follow-up rains to start refilling empty dams. 
“Friday’s rain sets the scene for a reasonably strong break,” one told the Loddon Herald.
Friday’s recorded rainfall of 29.5mm at Inglewood was more than the combined falls for more than three months and the largest single day fall since early April 2024. However, not all areas received good falls with some southern Loddon districts only recording between 8mm and 10mm and at Woosang there was 13.4mm, most coming from late afternoon storms.
Rain fell heavily at Boort and Wedderburn from mid-morning.
Many farmers had completed dry sowing of new season crops while industry experts say there had been a reduction in canola crops on non-irrigated farms.
The Bureau of Meteorology  has predicted below average falls this winter.
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry last week said that across cropping regions, there was a 75 per cent chance of rainfall in May and June.
“If realised, these rainfall totals would be considered below average for this time of year. A lack of sufficient rainfall in May is likely to result in an increased disconnect between upper- and lower-layer soil moisture. This may reduce opportunities to plant winter crops under ideal conditions, particularly in some southern growing regions,” according to the department.
Agriculture Victoria’s Northern region senior veterinary officer Jeff Cave said It was vital that producers assessed their livestock situation now and actively planned for the welfare of animals while waiting for the main autumn break.
“Livestock may start experiencing the effects of the shortfall of paddock feed. Furthermore, water availability has become a critical issue on many properties,” Dr Cave said.