Photo: RNZ/Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
What's happening on farms and orchards around New Zealand? Each week Radio New Zealand’s Country Life reporters talk to people in rural areas across the country to find out.
The east part of Northland is looking very dry and desperately needs rain. It's nearly looking at a drought, but rain's clipped the western side a bit more and farms there are okay. The cattle and sheep markets are both still holding up price-wise for the seller. They are similar to pre-Christmas levels and there is good demand from buyers further south.
In South Auckland there have been two main rain events in the past month; before and on Christmas Day, at least 150 millimetres of rain fell and in mid-January, a further dump of 25 mm was received. Between these times, the weather has been dry and the winds made it near impossible to evenly apply water. Prices of many green vegetables have lifted. That's mainly because growers ploughed earlier crops into the ground when there was no demand for them, and now there's a shorter supply. The weather has been good for potatoes, yields are pleasing and it's similar for the main onion crops that are either curing in dry paddocks, or already in the packing shed. Growers are quietly optimistic that the main export markets for NZ onions will get better prices than for many years.
In Waikato it has been hot and dry since Christmas although a week ago much of the region received 20 to 30 mm of rain. Pasture-wise most farms are looking good but they're starting to dry out rapidly. Milk production is dropping because animals are too hot and bothered to eat. Many farms now have overhead sprinklers where cows wait to go into the dairy shed - and the cows love having a shower in the heat. Maize crops have had a great season and recent rain would have been brilliant for filling out the cobs. Sheep farmers are disgusted at the amount they're getting for their wool - one farmer reports he received $1.69 per kg.
Rank Grass
King Country has heaps of grass but it is quite rank now so not the best for lambs. Stock condition is good though. At the recent Ongarue sale a top line of four tooth ewes sold for $270 a head, and there was another offering of an entire farm lot - 1400 ewes - and those four tooths went for $261 a head. Six year olds sold for $140 to $170. You have to pity the farmer looking for replacement stock; it's a seller's market.
Taranaki is having one of its best times ever. A farmers says from the end of last autumn when the drought broke, through until now rain has come just when it's been needed. Cows are milking well and all crops are growing very strongly.
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In Hawke's Bay it's unusually green - rain in December resulted in pasture growth rates 45 percent above normal and the highest growth rates in 15 years. Unfortunately there have not been many opportunities to buy in stock to eat it all - there is feed right across the country, animals are expensive so margins are slim. Mutton prices are very good - a farmer says his fat, old ewes fetched $165 each at the works - they would have been worth $100 a couple of years ago and $50 or $60 ten years ago. If farmers have feed to fatten old animals, it's worth it.
Photo: RNZ/Susan Murray
Hawke's Bay stone fruit has had a real thrashing - it has been an appalling summer fruit season with lots of rain which can lead to brown rot - and when there's a sniff of brown rot buyers don't want to pay for the fruit. Plums though seem to have handled the season better.
Apples are looking pretty good - it looks like the best crop for a few years by volume. Growers have been getting good incomes so they have been able to put money back into their orchards and pay for workers to help look after their crops.
Drying Out
Wairarapa has started to dry out - it's being pummeled by nor-west winds but animals and humans have been enjoying a beautifully warm summer. There is plenty of grass but some of it is rank. A lot of shearing is being done - farmers are hugely frustrated about the poor prices - especially because everyone's ditching plastic bags but no one's thinking about using more sustainable fibres.
There was fantastic rain in Manawatu on Christmas day and another lot between then and New Year so the region is looking fantastic. Now a week of very strong drying winds and no rain means the region's settling into a more normal summer. Maize and barley are still looking great. Lots of silage has been made and there's no immediate market for it. Taranaki normally takes it, but doesn't need it this year.
Photo: RNZ/Susan Murray
With no rain in the past week, Horowhenua is starting to dry out at last. It's been a remarkable spring and summer with surplus silage starting to be feed out small volumes. Maize is looking great here too. Farmers are well placed for a good year. There are large volumes of high quality fruit and vegetables from Horowhenua which means prices for seasonal crops like apricots and sweet corn are low. It will be hard for growers to make money. Corn cobs were wholesaling this week for 20 cents a cob which doesn't cover the cost of production.
South Island
There's been no major rainfall in the Nelson / Motueka region since Christmas and hot winds have doubled evaporation rates. Soil moisture levels are down to 23 percent of normal and as a result, irrigation systems are going full bore. There are water restrictions in place though, this means a 35 percent reduction on horticultural and agricultural water allocations. Townsfolk are under water restrictions too as flow levels in the Waimea and Motueka Rivers are getting low. In commercial orchards, people are completing thinning on later variety apples and pears.
Marlborough has been hot. Temperatures reached 35 degrees this week and it's dry too. Our contact who who has a hill farm near Blenheim says his farm was green at Christmas but now it's brown. It's a relatively quiet time for farmers; most lambs and finishing cattle have gone to the works. Prices are good at $7.20 a kilo for finishing lambs and farmers are getting an average of $110 for store lambs. Grapes in the province are having a good run. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are heading into the veraison stage - when the grapes soften - and spraying for farm botrytis and powdery mildew continue.
A farmer at Franz Josef on the West Coast in South Westland has had enough of the wetstuff. There's 318 mm in the rain gauge from the last 6 days. On the other hand a farmer up the Grey Valley recorded a modest 40 millimetres. Just what he needs he says to keep the grass ticking along. There's plenty of silage being made. Milking is going well and the vet will be coming soon to do pregnancy testing on cows.
Summer finally arrived in Canterbury in the new year. The rain stopped, sun came out and temperatures warmed up. Feed levels are still very good with large amounts of silage and baleage still being made. Autumn sown barley crops have been harvested. Lambs are now growing better with improved conditions.
Photo: RNZ/Susan Murray
Central Otago's stone fruit harvesting is in full swing. A grower in Roxburgh says the peach and apricot crop is not as big as last year but quality is excellent due to the hot summer and regular spots of rain. Most of the apricots are exported to Australia. There are plenty of students, locals and backpackers available too to help with the picking.
After a period of warm, dry conditions our contact at Waimakaha in Southland says he's had a good dose of rain. 62 millimeters in fact this week and temperatures have cooled off too. Milk production dropped off a bit because it's been dry. the cows are getting silage and a feed of rape to supplement their diet and to let the paddocks recover. .
