With the best June rainfall recorded in years and 3700 acres of wheat and barley sown, Tabbita farmer Grant Cameron is among the many local farmers describing themselves as quietly optimistic.

Not only has the June average of 34mm of rain been well and truly exceeded, it has also been the wettest June since the airport started recording in 1959, with 75mm recorded. The previous record was 70mm in 1987.

However, the wettest June ever recorded at Griffith, according to CSIRO records, was 135mm in 1931.

"It's definitely the best start we've seen in at least five or six years," Mr Cameron said.

"It's very encouraging. We are over the moon compared to a month ago. It's just spring that will be the testing time. I was talking to an old farmer at Goolgowi the other day and he was saying that from his records, 1994 was the last time we had three or four days of rain in a row ? that's 15 years ago."

As more rain fell yesterday, CSIRO Griffith senior technical officer David Smith said there was a 50-50 chance of average rainfall for July.

"We have pretty good moisture now but crops will want another drink around September," he said.

"So hopefully we'll get some more