Region’s farmers sick of ongoing rain
Manawatu¯ farmers are ready to see the back end of a wet spell that has delivered seemingly endless rain this winter and spring.
Farmers say the water table is so full that it takes only a shower to top it up and produce ponding and streams in paddocks.
Shearers and contractors are behind where they would usually be, crops and vegetables are late going in, and constant rain has got spirits down.
Optimistically, farmers say at least it has warmed up, and pastures are growing.
Federated Farmers Manawatu¯/ Rangitı¯kei dairy chairman Murray Holdaway said farms were still extremely wet and perhaps ‘‘even wetter then they had been up until now’’.
‘‘I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard that the [National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)] forecast for the next three months was for wetter then normal.
‘‘The grass is growing but it is still a real issue on how much of the feed is being wasted by the cows tramping it into the wet soils. To offset this farmers either have to allocate more grass, or replace the wasted feed with other forms of feed.’’
Holdaway said other problems becoming more common from the wet included lameness and mastitis. ‘‘Most herds will now only have a few cows to calve, so farmers will be thinking of setting-up for mating. The general feeding levels, the lameness and the lack of sun will all be things that have a negative effect on the cow’s chances of getting back in calf.
‘‘I am already hearing of farmers putting some of their herds onto once-a-day milking to help, and I am sure many more are thinking along the same lines.’’
DairyNZ regional manager, James Muwunganirwa said the ground was still wet, but ground temperatures had warmed up.
‘‘But in general pasture growth is still below herd demand. A lot of supplement has been fed to date to keep the cows milking and to give the grass a chance to grow.’’
He said the focus was on growing more grass and using it better.
‘‘Farmers are putting on urea and in some cases gibberellic acid to promote grass growth.
‘‘With regards to mating, emphasis is on identifying signs of heat as this can be a challenge in current weather conditions.’’
NIWA said temperatures were forecasted to be above average, but so was rainfall.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B +LNZ) expected overall beef and lamb prices would remain similar to the previous season despite an expected weakening of the dollar.
In its Situation Outlook, which looks at farm costs and income for the 2017-18 season, B=LNZ expected farm profit before tax would increase 6.6 per cent to $90,200 for next year for the average sheep and beef farm.
The exception was Taranaki/ Manawatu¯ where gross farm revenue would likely be down 2.4 per cent to $418,100, largely driven by lower returns from sheep
‘‘Anecdotal comments from farmers are that there are better returns to be made from trading stock and growing beef, compared with returns from dairy grazing activities,’’ said B+LNZ chief economist Andrew Burtt.
Holdaway said it had been a long hard slog this winter and spring and farmers and their staff were feeling the effects.