Wagga farmers are breathing a sigh of relief after recent rainfall provided a much-needed lifeline for their winter crops, but they know the coming weeks will be critical.

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Without widespread irrigation in the area, growers are hoping for more rain to secure a reasonable harvest as the crops enter their final growth stage.

Simon Maloney, a dryland farmer in the Wagga area, has crops of wheat and canola that are "poking along all right" after the recent falls.

"The rainfall last week proved to be a bit of a lifeline," he said. "We were looking for it."

Despite the recent rain, the season's late start will likely affect the final yield.

"We were slow getting started," Mr Maloney explained, noting that the late sowing of his canola crop will probably

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