Hawke's Bay's winegrowers are excited about this year's grapes and volumes. Photo: Supplied / Carl Gundersen
It's a tale of two halves in Northland-Te Tai Tokerau where some farms are still green and others are starting to dry out with little rainfall this past month.
Things are ticking along though and the mood among farmers seems good. That's likely due to good pregnancy scanning results for both beef and dairy cows - the result of a kind spring - and strong prices for cattle set to continue at the upcoming weaner fair sales.
In Pukekohe, the weather has continued to be good for harvesting mature onions. Other crops have benefitted from the low rainfall this summer, provided they've been irrigated.
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Rainfall has been patchy across Waikato - favoured farmers have had up to 70 millimetres while others in parts of King Country and the Central Plateau have seen none and they're having to feed out.
Maize is just starting to be harvested. Pregnancy scanning results show most farms have an empty average of about 12 percent - not a disastrous result all things considered. Farmers are fairly positive, but one said they'll need to "see some serious rain to get the autumn flush".
Harvesting of red kiwifruit is underway in the Bay of Plenty.
Vines are growing nicely in a good mix of rain and sunshine. A record 200 million trays of all varieties is expected this season.
Growers have been relieved to see this hasn't impacted forecast prices too much. Packhouses and contractors have been busy signing people up and many have waitlists.
Our industry contact said this shows how things are in the community and that many people are looking for work.
It's a very different story in Taranaki where drought has just been declared for what has been described as a "1-in-50-year event".
"Conditions on the ground are becoming extremely difficult, with limited feed and pasture available", a local vet said.
In the south near Hāwera and Manaia farmers are said to be facing desperate conditions.
Many dairy farmers have dropped to once-a-day milking and are feeding out. The maize harvest is expected to start in March though most crops could also do with a drink.
Pregnancy scanning shows average empty rates of between 8 to 15 percent. Cull cows - those not pregnant - will be hitting the markets and heading to the meatworks.
Farmers are still in a good state of mind, though, and focused on the drought and managing animal welfare. Our contact is hoping for early autumn rain. If not, an early end to the season, lower milk production and lesser payouts are likely.
The mood was positive at the recent Wairoa farm expo held near East Coast-Te Tai Rāwhiti last week.
Our agent contact said the wool price improvements are making farmers feel more hopeful. He said the region is still green with good pasture cover and great stock conditions. Drier weather is helping stave off any facial eczema issues so far.
Picking has already started in Hawke's Bay - a week ahead of last year's vintage harvest. Photo: Supplied / Tony Bish
Hawke's Bay farmers are also happy with feed and rainfall levels, though the facial eczema risk is increasing.
There has been a "good run of weather" and better prices have helped lift the mood.
It's expected more farmers will be looking to spend on things like fertiliser or pay down debt. Early rams have gone out and cull dairy cows are hitting the works which will help reduce a log jam later on.
There has been an early start to the grape harvest - picking is underway for sparkling and other early varieties. Things are about a week ahead of last year which was also early - one winemaker jokes they'll soon be picking by Christmas. He said the volume has been good and they are expecting to produce 32 million bottles this harvest.
Picking has also started in Wairarapa for sparkling varieties though a Martinborough winemaker thinks it will be another week yet for some of the other early varieties.
He said the quality and volumes coming off the vines are good, and there are no issues finding labour this year. Bales of hay in the summer sun make a great picture for the many tourists visiting the region.
It has been a "typical summer" for Manawatū-Rangitikei farmers. The dry has not been a major concern for this time of year though more rain would be welcome. Supplementary feed is going out. Grain crops are looking good and starting to come off, as is maize.
Harvest of Wairarapa's grapes for this year's vintage is just about to start. Photo: Supplied / Wilco Lam
Growers in Horowhenua are celebrating some extra rain this week - only about 15mm - but everything helps after a period of strong winds which have "dried things out very quickly".
They are busy bringing in their later zucchini and have just started on watermelons. Cold temperatures earlier in the summer have slowed growth.
Growers are still struggling to get good returns, with veggie prices so low. Compliance issues are also challenging for the industry.
Across the Cook Strait to Tasman Bay Te Tai o Aorere - where the hop harvest is about to get underway.
Our contact at Tapawera said the weather has been mixed - more wind and cloud than usual - but as long as the plants are getting sufficient water and some added nutrients, hop production can be assured.
Harvesting is the busiest time of the year. He is aiming for a top-quality crop for craft brewers here and overseas.
The greenshell mussel industry has been busy in the Marlborough Sounds. A mussel farmer said the current harvest cycle has been a cracker. International demand is strong, so they are making good returns.
Rising costs are still a concern though, but if the demand keeps up he reckons growers will be able to reduce some of their debt.
Not far from the mussel farms, a sheep farmer at Waitui Bay said lamb weaning has gone well and singles have fetched better than expected prices.
The Kenepuru Road is sufficiently repaired now to allow truck and trailer access to the farm. They had to barge stock on and off the property after the storm damage.
A fencing project is also underway to protect a Significant Natural Area of the native Kohekohe forest. Some grazing has been lost but there is a spin-off - the fences will make mustering easier.
The Marlborough District Council is helping to subsidise the costs and the farmer said it is all worthwhile, as it will keep the Sounds looking great for future generations.
Processing harvested hops at Okuora Farms Photo: Supplied
Many dairy farms on the West Coast are on once-a-day milking due to a dry summer. Production levels are down on last year. It has been warm too.
A Rununga dairy farmer said soil temperatures have reached 18C to 20C. He grows ryegrass and it tends to stop growing at these temperatures.
There hasn't been a lot of baleage made, but winter crops are doing well thanks to a good dose of rain last week.
Pregnancy testing is done and dusted. The rising 2-year-old - or R2 - heifers have higher empty rates than his older cows. They struggled to stay in condition during the wet spring.
Farmers in Canterbury-Waitaha have been chipping away through the harvest. Because the weather has not been ideal, many crops need to be dried, adding to the workload and cost to already strained farmers.
This, coupled with lower pricing and rising costs, means morale among arable farmers is not great. The farmer we spoke to at Hororata, said he knows of many farmers who are investigating alternative options to farming.
On the flip side, the cooler conditions are good for grass growth, so livestock farmers have plenty of feed and stock is doing well.
Grape growers in Central Otago have recovered well from an unexpected frost in late November and since then, there has been a lack of meaningful rain.
Our contact at Bannockburn said some vines have collapsed due to a lack of moisture. Powdery mildew can thrive in warm and dry conditions but it's been kept under control. With little rainfall, botrytis has not been an issue.
Veraison is the beginning of the ripening process when the grapes change colour, and from the look of things intense flavours are expected from this year's vintage.
Early picking begins in some vineyards next week for grapes destined for sparkling wine. Staff-wise, there are enough RSE workers and backpackers available for grape and cherry harvesting.
And lastly, there has been a mixed bag of weather in Murihiku - Southland. A farmer near Gore is hoping to get the peas off before the forecast rain arrives, but most of the wheat, barley and oat crops have been harvested.
Trucks have been busy carting culled ewes, prime lambs and beef to the freezing works. Processing numbers are down a bit though. It is said to be due to less land being used for farming. Also with reasonable meat prices, some farmers are holding onto stock until they get heavier.
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