Dry weather hits dairy farmers hard
Manawatu¯ dairy farmers say they could cope with the dry weather if it came at the end of summer, rather than the beginning.
Rain was on the minds of about 10 farmers attending a Tokomaru/ Linton dairy discussion day.
All the farmers had received no rain lately and were desperate for decent showers.
Hot days for Manawatu¯ , Horowhenua and most of the Rangitı¯kei had been accompanied by winds also drying the land out.
Dairynz’s consulting officer for the region, Scott Cameron said most people had pasture growth that was half of normal.
‘‘Everyone is complaining about the dry. Many crops haven’t germinated well. [We] went from [being unable to] get them in because it was so wet, to getting them in and it turning dry.’’
A few crops emerged, but the small plants need rain to boost their growth.
He said farmers were feeding out silage and palm kernel to keep cows milking well because with pasture growth rates were half of normal levels.
Cameron said crops that dairy farmers relied on in January and February were well behind normal.
‘‘There will be a big hole in feed in January or late December when people usually feed crop to cows. They won’t be ready.’’
He said many people were feeding out now, mainly grass silage and palm kernel to keep cows milking well.
‘‘But not as much silage was made as usual So there will be a shortage coming up soon.’’
Brian Underwood, who farms near Linton said he could see rain and lightening along the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges, but it stayed there rather than straying out to farms in Manawatu¯ .
Most farmers were going to cull cows early to take some pressure off the rest of the herd and feed supplies.
The discussion day was held at James Finnigan’s farm which was near Linton. He was in his second season on the property and milked once a day.
He said he culled eight of his 334 cows a few weeks ago, then culled a further 21 more lately.
‘‘Long term we want as lower input as possible, but we [he and his wife Hannah] want good milk production.’’
The equity partners in the 115 hectare farm are aiming for 115,000 kilograms of milk solids.
Finnigan said their goals were to pay back debt, get the farm up and running well and to be selfsufficient.
He had in the past two seasons improved the infrastructure of the property, which was not a complete dairy farm when they bought it with Finnigan’s mother Christine Finnigan, who has a once-a-day milking herd.
Finnigan said he had been busy getting the farm in order.
A woodchip stand-off pad for the cows was used during the wet winter and early spring.
‘‘It was a life saver. We could put 200 cows on the pad, and really need more. Because it is wood chips, it means there is no obligation to collect effluent from it.’’
Finnigan said he was still dealing with the result of the wetter than usual winter and spring despite the dry weather.
‘‘We have open pastures now, and there is pugging damage.’’