A newborn calf Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Those in Northland feel like they are at the South Pole. Two fine days throughout June and more than 200 millimetres of rain have made the land sodden. Stock is in average condition. The pasture has melted, says one farmer, referring to the poor quality tucker. Many in the region are on a knife edge. Most have chomped through their supplementary feed which has led to stock being sold or farmers speeding up their rounds - moving stock more quickly around the paddocks. They don't have a lot of choice. Cattle are going to the works about 30 to 40 kilos lighter than farmers would like. They say they'll get through though, but there'll be a lot of gritting and gnashing of teeth on the way.
Many wet days throughout July in Pukekohe have frustrated growers. Despite the conditions, they've almost completed onion sowing and brassica planting but potato planting has been difficult. August started off with a taste of everything...rain, hail, sunshine and light frosts.
It's been a much wetter and warmer winter in Waikato...asparagus growers are keen on a few more frosts before things kick off in September. Cows have been making a bit of a mess with all the rain. More breaks and silage are being fed than anticipated. But July was a month of two halves ... the first part was miserable and then things picked up towards the end of the month. There have been about 1640 millimetres of rain for the year to date, so it only takes 10 mills to get the ground sodden. Calving is about four weeks in now and at times it hasn't been very pleasant, with wet weather gear and mud-laden boots making the task a bit tricky. Our contact says the hard work is good for getting rid of the 'dad bod'.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
July was the first month in 18 that Bay of Plenty had below-average rainfall. There is a feeling the weather pattern is changing, as it's a little drier...although it hasn't been particularly cold which is not good for kiwifruit. Last season's crops suffered from a lack of winter chill and this year it's been no better. There is some trepidation about the place from both orchardists and farmers regarding milk prices. Fonterra has slashed its milk payout forecast for the coming season by 12 per cent because of reduced Chinese demand. Calving is about 20 per cent of the way through, although those in coastal areas of the region would be further along. A lot of farmers are low on feed. It's been nigh on impossible to get fertiliser work done because it's been too wet to get any heavy machinery on farm.
Very wet and very muddy is the report from King Country. Even right up on the hills, the story is the same. There have been a couple of frosts but mainly horrible wet days. Grass cover is a bit short. Lambing is about to start - it's nowhere near full swing, but there are a few early lambs about.
Taranaki has fared well through winter. Most coastal farmers are fairly happy with the below-average rainfall. Towards the mountain, it's been wetter, but there haven't been many frosts. Any time there is rain it turns to mud quickly and soil moisture is at full capacity, so cow conditions are variable. Feed-wise, farmers are okay. Those on the coast will be about halfway through calving, and those on higher altitudes will just be getting going.
It's too wet to get in and harvest the Jefferd's remaining maize crop, months after floods from Cyclone Gabrielle Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
The start of July saw two weeks of reasonable weather in Te Tai Rāwhiti. However, people are starting to run out of feed. Maize crops are right down with some farmers having lost it all thanks to relentless rain. Mental health is a battle in the region ... isolation is a problem. The Rural Support Trust is working hard to identify those who need help. The problem is those who need it most are often the ones not coming forward for help. A lot of lambs hit the ground during the recent cold snap and losses are a growing concern. There's concern the region has been forgotten after Cyclone Gabrielle and many are feeling frustrated considering the economic benefit the region delivers in various export markets.
Those in Hawkes Bay are waiting in anticipation for the El Nino weather pattern to kick in. July continued to be wet and only in the last week did it feel like paddocks and orchards were starting to dry out. Good frosts and strong winds are helping with that. The exceptionally wet winter has made working on the orchards very difficult. Ideally, pruning would be done in dry conditions - but it hasn't been possible. If work stopped every time it rained, no work would be done. Hydroladders and other heavy equipment have been virtually impossible to use because of the sodden ground.
July was a tough month for Manawatu ... especially the hill country. There haven't been many drying days. Feed has disappeared and farmers are knee-deep in mud. Quad bikes are getting stuck regularly. It's a real change from the period going into winter when cow, ewe and grass condition was looking good. Now that budgets and schedules aren't as chipper, some tough conversations are being had. Further south, near Feilding, there hasn't been much rain. At least grass is growing and finishers are still buying animals, probably saving those in the hill country.
Photo: RNZ / Kate Green
In Wairarapa, any time it starts to look alright, a mini storm will come through creating flooding on paddocks. It takes just one night of rain for things to go backwards..although, towards the end of the month, paddocks were drying out a little bit. Cows have started calving a bit slower than our contact was expecting. Farmers are still struggling to get stock into the works. It seems there is still a backlog. Prices are well down on last year.
To the South Island now, where it's a vastly different story...
In Golden Bay, near Nelson, our contact was a third of the way through calving and he hadn't had a day of rain. After three winters of continuous and atrocious weather, it's been amazing. That being said, grass hasn't been growing well due to the cold days. Given the financial pressures hanging around, it's good to have a sunny day to keep spirits up. He just hopes others across the country will be able to have some of the sunshine too.
Photo: RNZ / Susan Murray
Spring is knocking on the door in Marlborough. Our contact says weather conditions have been great with a cool week of good frosts and grass is still growing. Lamb prices aren't as good as they could be, but grass, cattle and sheep are in good condition. Farmers are about 10 days into calving and about a third of the way through lambing.
It's warm and mild on the West Coast. There has been a bit of rain, but it is still warm which has seen good grass growth by the sea. Inland areas could do with a bit more cover. You can see the difference in the paddock when driving just three kilometres up the road. Thirty per cent of the heifers have started milking before their start date...they've grown out well. Cows are only just starting to calve this week, with the first due on Saturday.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Canterbury has so far had a good winter from a pasture growth point of view which has been driven by a lot of rain and few frosts. Animals on grazing are now returning home. Although growing well, winter lambs are going to struggle to get back what farmers paid for them in the autumn, which is disappointing. Our contact has just finished their first 12 months of recording pest management on farm - the tally is 98 hares, five hedgehogs, 19 feral cats and 26 possums.
Otago's winter has carried on from really good autumn conditions. They missed out on the rain that the North Island had. There's just been the odd storm to remind you it's the coldest season of the year. There's more feed sitting around than usual so farmers are set up pretty well for the incoming spring. The stock is in good condition. Ewe scanning yielded average results because of the drier summer.
Southland has been very wet right across the region ... to the point of absolute saturation and any rain that falls just runs across the land. It's been tough but the sun was shining at the end of the week and people are hoping for a better month than last.
