Drought conditions to hit farmers’ bottom lines

Drought conditions are a cause for concern for Manawatū farmers heading into winter.

With a long period of dry weather affecting parts of the country, the Government recently expanded the “medium-scale adverse event classification” to parts of the North Island, including the Horizons Regional Council area.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said up to $80,000 would be provided to rural support trusts covering the Northland, Taranaki, Manawatū-Rangitīkei, Tararua, Horowhenua and Wairarapa areas.

Federated Farmers’ Manawatū-Rangitīkei president, Ian Strahan, said the conditions had been a problem in parts of the region.

The Kiwitea farmer had 7mm of rain on Thursday night but said that wouldn’t do much. He said it was a concern for farmers if they lacked enough feed going into winter, as was not having a proper autumn before heading into winter. Most farmers were ready for a dry summer usually, but it became difficult if those conditions dragged on into autumn.

It was dry in the lower Rangitīkei, Halcombe, lower Manawatū and Horowhenua areas, he said, but not as bad in northern Manawatū and northern Rangitīkei.

The region’s dairy chairperson, Hamish Easton, had about 1200mm of rain at his farm near Foxton in the previous June to June period. However, from June 2023 to now, he’d had only 520mm.

Strahan said: “It often balances itself out, but it’s a bit late to balance it out. It’s going to take a lot of moisture to get those areas growing again. The grass is brown, and there’s just no feed at some places.”

Strahan said most farmers aimed for a certain amount of grass going into winter, but some were having to feed their stock with that grass now.

He said the margins for dairy farmers were slim. Most looked as though they would make some money this year – but if they had to buy feed, that expenditure would “have a major effect on their bottom line”.

In dry hill country it might not be as bad, but the “average sheep and beef breeder is probably going lose $200 a hectare”, he said. This wasn’t helped by low lamb prices.

Some sheep and beef farmers were having to feed lambs on grass that was supposed to be for production for next year, he said.

“It looks like next year there’s no light at the end of the tunnel ... A lot of farmers look like they’re not going to make any money for a couple of years.”

Strahan said it was bad for the local economy at a time when things weren’t great anyway, so many farmers would write this year off and think about next year.

He believed the extra funding for rural support trusts was a good move and would help farmers who were under stress.

“Farming’s a hard job when you’re making money. When you’re in the red, it’s not much fun at all.”

Farmers and growers who need support can contact their local rural support trust on 0800 787 254.