Otago farmers are watching their paddocks "green before their eyes" after recent rain they describe as a "godsend" and worth thousands of dollars to the average farmer.
Heavy rainfall across most of Otago on Sunday night came on top of a significant rainstorm last week, easing pressure on farmers in the Central Otago and Upper Clutha areas, who had been looking at brown paddocks and a lack of grass growth before Christmas.
MetService figures show the highest rainfall on Sunday night was in Balclutha (42.3mm) followed by 41mm in the Shotover while the highest recorded on the Otago Regional Council's gauges was 158mm, at Cascade Hut in the headwaters of Lake Wanaka.
Hawea farmer Richard Burdon said he had recorded 81mm last week plus "good follow-up" rain of 63mm on Sunday night.
"It's a very good start to the new year; fantastic news.
The place is turning green as we speak."
In a year when there were good commodity prices, having the feed to capitalise on them was important, he said.
Farmers now had good-quality dry matter to get lambs to heavier weights and winter feed crops, which previously had been struggling to establish, had taken off.
Without the rain, farmers would have been in a serious situation and looking at reducing stock numbers, Mr Burdon said.
"It's absolutely fantastic.
Hard to put a value on, but I'd say it's worth thousands to the average farmer."
Richard Anderson, of Kawarau Station, Bannockburn, said the only way to describe the rain was an "irrigator's joy" after 49mm fell on his property last week and 19mm on Sunday night.
"It's been very dry.
The hay paddocks were looking desperate but that has all changed, especially after the follow-up rain today."
After some dry months last year, the rain was a "godsend" for the time of year and he could "already hear the grass growing and greening up again", he said.
The rain had "broken the back" of the dry conditions going into what were the traditionally dry months of February and March, Mr Anderson said.
Oturehua farmer Ken Gillespie said the rain was "worth a heck of a lot of money" to the sector.
He had received 79mm in the past week, which was very unusual for the time of year.
"This year is looking really good.
The clover has exploded in places we haven't seen in a long time."
Consultant hydrologist Dave Stewart, of Dunedin, said farmers who received both bursts of rain should really see results from it but those in North Otago, which missed much of the rain, would not see the benefits.
"Anything less than 5mm is not a help."
While the rain had eased the pressure on many farmers, the dryness had not gone away, he said.
