The sun's been out in Northland this week which has put smiles on farmers' faces after a miserable month, although pugging damage has been way less than last year. The fine weather has perked up the cows and made the grass grow. Calving is a good way through.
Our grower in Pukekohe says by the end of the week, mainly dry weather with sunshine has provided some relief from August's constantly wet days. They've been able to apply crop protection products without them washing off and wasting money. It's been a good winter for the consumer with green vegetables remaining in strong supply.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
In Waikato there's also been some nice fine weather which has increased grass growth rates. Cover is well above average for the time of the year. Calving is tailing off for most of them and they're now gearing up to pre-mating heat detection - finding out which cows should be cycling when mating starts. The herds are in fantastic shape having had so much grass over winter. The low water table has meant no pugging. Farmers are being urged to have their effluent ponds tested to show proof that they're not leaking and also encouranged to put a focus on mental wellbeing - ensuring staff are given time off after the hectic calving season.
In Bay of Plenty, kiwifruit growers are finishing off winter pruning and doing their end of season tidy up and orchard managers are gearing up for frost protection over the bud burst period. The growers are feeling very positive after Zespri announced a higher forecast return for green and gold. The industry appears to be in fine fettle.
It was a pleasant day in Taranaki on Friday, with the sun peeking through a cloud covered mountain. There's been a lift in the temperature and that's brought on sound grass growth - better than last year. Calving's gone tidily.
On the East Coast, there's been some much needed rain. The feed situation is pretty good, though, and farmers are feeling positive with strong saleyard prices. Early lambs are on the ground but the main drop is about to happen over the next three to four weeks. Vege growers are flat stick cultivating soil for the spring. There's some concern about a dry summer given the low water table. On the forestry front, even though logging prices have dropped, crews are still flat out, with trucks still busy and boats coming in.
Things are starting to speed up in Hawkes Bay orchards with wind machines running for frost control as green tips emerge in apples and pears.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Our farmer in Manawatu says it's been a good week after "yucky" weather earlier in the month. The sun's shining and there are lots of lambs and calves on the ground. They're right in the middle of lambing in good conditions. Some of the hill country has been quite short of feed but stock seem to be pretty fat and healthy - touch wood. Ít only needs one big spring storm to cause problems but everyone's ready for it. Calving's just started. It's been a dry, kind winter and with recent rain, farms are set up up pretty well.
The tips of asparagus are starting to poke through in Horowhenua and the grower we speak to is anticipating a small harvest later next week, so you might see some of the new season asparagus appearing in some restaurants. Bigger volumes won't be coming through until mid September. In his dairy operation, he's nearly three quarters of the way through calving and after a slight pinch in the feed situation, the grass is now growing and cows are in great condition.
Wairarapa has also been enjoying fine spring weather, encouraging grass growth, Morale is good at the stressful time of calving and lambing.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
In the Nelson/Motueka region apple tree and grapevine pruning's coming to an end and vines are being tied down. It's the same for Marlborough vineyards. Bud burst's only a few weeks away now and there are already signs of movement on the pinot noir variety.
The province has been windy, dry and a bit cool this week. Our contact near Blenheim says spring's arriving. Everyone's in the thick of lambing on hill country farms. There have been no storm events so far so survival rates are excellent. Soil temperatures are at 8 degrees but they need to get to 10 before the tasty clovers wake up. Two-year-old cattle are behind wires on green feed and on track to reach their target weights.
The farmer we rang at Rotomanu on the West Coast says weather-wise it's been an atrocious week. It's been bucketing down but luckily for his pregnant cows he has a dry herd home set up for calving. Outside, though, paddocks are saturated so a few days of blue sky would be much appreciated by man and beast. Calving started on August 13 and so far there are 130 calves in the calf shed out of an expected 200. Milking's going well and the tanker's coming every second day.
In Canterbury lambing and calving are going well Photo: RNZ/Susan Murray
With good weather across Canterbury and winter feed crops mostly finished, tractors have been busy cultivating paddocks for spring sowing. At the moment mostly cereals are going in. Lambing and calving are going well with some early tailing already being done.
A fruit grower ar Roxburgh says his apricot trees are covered in a sea of white blossom. The peach and apricot trees are not too far behind with hints of pink starting to appear. Hives have gone into the orchard and the bees are buzzing around pollinating flowers.
There's been a bit of rain here and there in South Otago but, in general, the last 10 days have been okay for calving. A farmer at Balclutha says his girls calve later than other herds in the area so he's only 40 percent through, with 400 calves on the ground so far.
When we called a farmer at Blackmount in Eastern Southland on Friday he was spraying gorse on a hill. He said it was a lovely day down there and the week hadn't been too bad either. His mob of 12 month-old calves had moved onto fodder beet after finishing off the swedes. It's still a bit tacky under-hoof for them but not as bad as it was. Mixed-aged ewes are shorn and set stocked with lambing due to start on September 15. Hoggets are booked in for a trim next week. They've scanned at 115 percent, a good result as percentages normally come in at under 100 for hoggets. On his son's dairy farm, cows are on crops, grass and silage and calving's about 50 percent through.
Calves on a Southland dairy farm Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
