Dairy calving has begun across the country. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Feeding out is a bit of a chore, with wet and muddy conditions for Northland - Te Tai Tokerau farmers. Our contact who farms near Whangarei says he had about 150mm of rain for the month of July while others he knew had 200mm. Frosts from a few weeks ago have slowed grass growth though soil temperatures remain steady. It's been a "pretty good" winter but farmers are hopeful of an early spring. Dairy farmers were happy with body condition scores and are now well into calving, some are even nearing the end. Our contact says beef farmers in the region are unlikely to make a profit this season. That's due to high interest rates, on farm inflation and increased transport costs due to the earlier State Highway 1 Brynderwyn closure.
In Pukekohe, mild winter weather has prevailed with regular rainfall. Vegetables are jumping out of the ground. Unfortunately, many consumers are not buying them resulting in a continuing oversupply of low price produce.
Dairy farmers across the Waikato are flat out with calving at the moment. Pasture covers have held well so feed levels are good and there's plenty of supplementary feed to be found. Farmers are "apprehensive" about recent price drops at the Global Dairy Trade auction, but hopeful it's a similar trend to last year where prices will later rise.
Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers are well into pruning, having started on gold varieties and soon to get into the green varieties. They're also busy with general maintenance and picking up fertiliser. It was a great season with plenty of labour, good fruit and good growing conditions. Growers are hoping the tide will similarly change for avocados. Picking for the domestic market has already started in the Far North and those in the Bay of Plenty are not far off.
Pruning of kiwifruit vines is underway in Bay of Plenty. Photo: 123rf.com
Calving has just begun in King Country, with earlier scanning rates looking good. It's been a good winter, not too cold and the grass is still growing somewhat. Feed levels are good with plenty of silage still for sale around the region. Our dairy farmer contact says it'll still be a tight year for many, with uncertainty about the Fonterra brand sales and a lower GDT price. She's hopeful interest rates would start to drop. It's worse, though, for her sheep and beef friends.
It's been a mild winter for dairy farmers in North Taranaki - not too cold, and not too wet. There's plenty of grass though this has been more challenging for those in Southern Taranaki. Most across the region are busy with calving which started in early July and will likely continue to the end of this month.
Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
East Coast-Te Tai Rāwhiti farmers have been hit by heavy rains again this past month, which makes it challenging to get anything done on farm. Paddocks are a bit of a "mess" with lots of mud and pugging. Pasture growth rates are solid though and soil temperatures remain "above normal". Lambing has started, scanning was surprisingly back on last year but farmers are optimistic. The wet and low sheep prices are farmers' main frustrations at the moment. However, promising signs from a "strong" cattle market are good news for many and July saw "outstanding" bull sales, despite tighter budgets.
Our Hawke's Bay farmer says winter has "ticked along not too badly", and though feed is a bit tight most have come through alright. Lambing has started and will keep many busy through until September - there's fewer multiples this season, a mixed result. Store cattle prices are well up, and there's hope lamb prices will rise again. Arable crops are in the ground for Spring and Autumn, with a welcome drop in fertiliser prices. There've been a number of recent quadbike and other on farm accidents and our contact is urging others to be extra careful of wet and slippery conditions.
Lambing has started along the East Coast. Photo: Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Dairy calves have started hitting the ground in Manawatū-Rangitikei and farmers are happy with high survival rates due to favourable conditions. The region saw about 10-30mm of rain earlier this week, the first significant amount in a while. With the ground not too wet, there was little worry about feed breaks and damage to paddocks from pugging. A farm consultant in the region says it's a "nice feeling" and a "comfortable place to be". Some farmers had even started ploughing paddocks to get early fodder beet into the ground. Though this year's sheep and beef budgets are "ugly", he says farmers are "getting through".
Warm conditions mean grass is still growing in Wairarapa. The warmer conditions have also helped many farmers as lambs start hitting the ground. This week's cold snap is not expected to last. A farmer in Eastern Wairarapa says most are busy in winter mode, with repairs and maintenance jobs underway. He says the mood is subdued but they're starting to to see some enthusiasm in prices which is much needed for sheep and beef sector.
Fruit tree pruning is also in full swing across the South Island. Photo: Supplied/Kath Irvine
Across the Cook Strait to Whakatū-Tasman and pruning is in full swing in apple and kiwifruit orchards. Apart from two wet days this week there have been no interruptions. Underperforming and older blocks are being replaced. With no new apple 'trends' people are going for 'fruit salad' orchards rather than focusing on one variety. There's concern among some growers about unusually low water levels in aquifers and dams. They don't want be under water restrictions at the start of the season.
In Marlborough, grape growers have finished with pruning and most are on track for getting their maintenance work done. On farm, many are busy preparing for lambing. The region saw a bit of rain this last week, with a few frosty mornings as well. So far the winter has been "kind" but with more frosts forecast, it's not yet over.
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Over on the West Coast a dairy farmer at Runanga says strong winds blew off the silage covers and downed some trees this week. Overall though, conditions for farming have been excellent and calving's underway. In fact when we talked to the farmer, he was in the yard taking springers out of the main herd and putting them in a paddock with extra feed. A springer is a cow or heifer close to calving.
It's been a week of very wet weather in Canterbury and after a month of no rain, it's welcome. While it's been good for wintering stock and planting some early spring crops, everyone is mindful of what the dry conditions could mean for the spring. Feed levels remain tight. Our contact at Hororata says the winter will be remembered for the high number of frosts.
Heavy snow has hit parts of Central Otago. Photo: Supplied
It's been a mild winter so far for Central Otago. A wet spell at the start of July has given way to a cold snap this week, with a bit of snow hitting farms around the region. Feed varies - the effects of summer drought still lingers for some and there's risk of a pinch come September. Grass growth has been average to above average though.
And finally... it's been a reasonable winter for Southland farmers. The region hasn't seen snow yet but temperatures have certainly cooled, with some frosts this week. Feed supplies are "okay". Crops of fodder beet and kale are holding steady and cows are in good condition. Many dairy farmers have started calving. Sheep and beef farmers are "despondent" about prices.
