IF the singing in the rain hasn't started, big dumps have got farmers humming along nicely.

In the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday, parts of Victoria got a month's rain in a day, with widespread falls sowing seeds of hope, the Herald Sun reports.

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Vegetable growers canned irrigation plans, wilting fields sprang to life and graziers put hand-feeding on hold.

And while a decade of drought is not over, hopes are high the worst might be past.

May was more heart-breaking than drought-breaking, with dry weeks following good April falls.

But on Monday night and Tuesday morning, Mildura got its May's worth of rain in a day and Swan Hill, Bendigo and Benalla went close.

Other parts got a welcome soaking as a rain belt swept southeast from Mildura.

Carisbrook farmer Max Blackmore had 15mm in the gauge on Tuesday, and it was still coming down at his 600ha spread.

Unploughable fields were ready to sow.

"The crops we got in, they were really starting to struggle," Mr Blackmore said.

"This will get them up and running. I'm feeling a lot brighter than I was this time last year, sowing crops in the dust."

Victorian Farmers Federation president Andrew Broad said the rain came not a moment too soon.

"I wouldn't like to think of what would have happened if we went into another dry month," he said.

"One rain doesn't make a season, but this is the rain we were looking for."

In the Goulburn Valley, fruit picking had to wait while Huey sent it down.

But grower Rein Silverstein said it would add to the sweetness of the Sundowner and Pink Lady apples.

"It's been very dry up here," she said.

"Most people have held off their last irrigation hoping for rain.

"Their prayers have been answered."

Chris Nixon, from the VFF livestock section, said the rain was incredibly positive.

He said some graziers were reducing flocks expecting a dry winter and high feed costs.

"They are probably holding off now. We'll still get a little bit of grass growing before winter. The need for hand-feeding reduces.

"This will certainly put a smile on most farmers' faces. We haven't had an average rainfall for 12 years," he said.

Weather bureau forecaster Peter Blake said rainfall for the whole state had been less than 60 per cent of the May average.

"Mildura probably got the month's rainfall in 24 hours - 29mm. Swan Hill got 23, Bendigo 22 and Benalla, 25," he said.

"Things are certainly looking better than they were. I'd have to say we never really came out of the drought. We were so far into it it takes serious rainfall to get out of it, but we live in hope."

Read more on the Herald Sun.