Prolonged adverse weather has farmers across the country fearing a delayed or even damaged harvest.

National Farmers Federation CEO Tony Mahar told Deborah Knight the concerns are particularly striking for drought-affected parts of NSW, where recent rain has been welcomed.

“What we don’t want right now is storms and hail and damaging winds that’ll destroy what we hope is going to be a bumper crop.

“This will be, for some people, the first income … in up to five years.”

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For Coonamble grain grower Tom Cullen, crossed fingers have come too little, too late.

Huge hailstones and 95 millimetres of rain last week “changed everything,” he told Jim Wilson.

“It’s devastating, mate.

“All the trees were stripped, and [there were] dead birds.

“In ten minutes, you can just … wipe the whole thing out.

“That’s probably the most heartbreaking thing, particularly that it was so ready: we had the harvester parked in the paddock ready to go.”

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Image: File