Top summer so far for Waikato farmers
Greener pastures have put a smile on the face of Waikato farmers as feed covers hold up through summer after a damp December.
While many of their counterparts struggle in Northland following the recent drought declaration, Waikato is largely in good shape coming into late summer.
While patches of Waikato are starting to show the effects of summer, other areas are holding up well from moderate rainfall last month.
According to Niwa’s seasonal climate outlook for February to April, temperatures were most likely to be near average, rainfall was most likely to be in the below normal range and soil moisture levels and river flows were most likely to be below normal.
The region was greener in places than previous years although north Waikato was looking drier than south Waikato and eastern parts towards Te Aroha, Waikato Federated Farmers president Chris Lewis said.
His own farm near Pukeatua received a welcome 70 millimetres of rain over January during a typically dry time of the year.
‘‘The farm’s still green and growing a bit of grass, which is useful and the cows are ticking over slowly.
‘‘There’s been a little bit of rain, a little but of hot weather. For a farmer it’s been a great sum- mer.’’
The growth was not reflected in milk production with production down in January and December.
Rather than converting the pasture to milk, the cows were storing it on their bodies after the cool wet spring.
Maintaining the cow condition would be the focus for farmers from now until they were dried off with any extra milk in the vat a bonus, he said.
Volumes were also down overall in the North Island, according to Fonterra’s most recent Global Dairy Update, falling six per cent in the North Island to 111 million kilograms.
DairyNZ South Waikato regional leader Wade Bell said parts of Waikato were just starting to turn brown now, although feed covers on many farm he had seen were holding up well.
Soil moisture readings were within the normal range for this time of year and summer feed crops and maize crops were growing well.
‘‘It’s greener and there’s more pasture on farm than this time last year.’’
‘‘We haven’t had the really burning hot temperatures and it’s still been relatively cool so any rain we have had has been pretty good.’’